Guarding Tsuna
by Lady Serena Sparrow
Summary: A new threat to Tsuna's life leads to a competition between his Guardians over who will be his soul mate. Guardians x Tsuna. GIVEN to KenandBinks
1. Almost kidnapped

**Ok…so for those of you who already read this story…I apologize! gets on hands and knees I honestly don't know what the me from 7 months ago was thinking. glares at self I seriously am disappointed in my poor writing skills back then. But I'm back and I swear I will write this story better with my Dying Will! But please don't shoot me with a dying will bullet because I really don't want to run around in my underwear ok? nervous cough Anyway! Here's the revised version of chapter one and I will (finally) post chapter two very soon! I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my plushies...please don't sue.**

**Warning: This is boyxboy love. If you don't approve I don't care. So be quiet or Hibari will bite you to death. LOL. He really would. **

Sawada Tsunayoshi was making his way to school one cool autumn morning when a man dressed all in black ran up behind him and put a cloth to his face. Tsuna tried to fight with all of his strength but the sweet smell invaded his nostrils and he found himself tumbling into darkness. The man in black lifted him over his shoulder and began to make his way to an adjacent isolated alley when a stick of dynamite flew through the air and landed at his feet.

"Wha-?" he oh-so-articulately questioned right before the dynamite exploded and he was thrown off his feet.

Through the smoke he looked up as he got to his knees and saw two figures emerging. One was tall with spiky hair and what appeared to be a baseball bat and the other was shorter with medium-length hair and sticks of dynamite in his hands. The smoke cleared and he saw two very angry faces glaring down at him. It was in that moment that his life flashed before his eyes before the gray-haired young man's fist knocked him out cold.

Said gray-haired young man's name was Gokudera Hayato and he spat on the ground near the man's feet. Clenching his jaw, he tried to contain himself from simply tearing the man to pieces.

"That's what you get for trying to hurt Juudaime!" Gokudera growled at the still form.

He sighed and turned to where his beloved boss lay on the ground. He rushed over to Tsuna, the baseball idiot by his side. The future tenth head of the mafia family Vongola was still unconscious with dark ashes sprinkled across his cheeks. His steady breathing made it appear as if he was only sleeping. In Gokudera's mind he imagined himself leaning down slowly and gently pressing his lips to Tsuna, his Sleeping Beauty. Of course in reality he simply pulled the brunette to him and lifted his limp body bridal style. He glanced to his left at the baseball idiot and was surprised to see him with a solemn expression on his usually cheerful face.

"Is he going to be ok?" Yamamoto Takeshi asked quietly, his worried gaze resting upon Tsuna.

Surprising both himself and Yamamoto, Gokudera smiled reassuringly at the taller boy and replied, "Don't worry…we'll take good care of him."

Yamamoto's eyes widened for a second before returning to normal as he laughed and rubbed his head sheepishly, "You're right. Tsuna's just resting and he'll be back to normal in not time. Although I have to admit it's nice to see him so relaxed. He looks really…cute that way… y'know?"

Gokudera nodded in agreement, blushing furiously, before he realized what just happened. He gasped and gaped at the other boy in disbelief.

"Did you just call Juudaime cute? CUTE?!" he roared.

Yamamoto blinked in surprise and a light pink spread across his cheeks as he nodded shyly. Gokudera wasn't sure whether to laugh or yell.

He chose to glare and say, "Juudaime is not cute…he's beautiful."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth he regretted them. The reaction he expected from the baseball idiot, laughter, was not what he received.

Yamamoto smiled gently and said, "Yeah…you're right. You too huh?"

Gokudera sighed and asked, "Me too what?"

Yamamoto leaned down and kissed Tsuna on his forehead before he stood up straight and stared into Gokudera's eyes wide with confusion, "We're both in love with Tsuna."

Too stunned to reply, Gokudera averted his eyes and cleared his throat, "Well, let's take Juudaime home. There's no sense in going to school now since we're already late and he's in no condition to study right now. Reborn-san will want to know what happened."

Yamamoto nodded and they hurried to Tsuna's house. But they were not aware of a dark pair of eyes watching through the slit of a mailbox.

"It seems the time has come for me to put my plan into action," the mysterious person said, smirking, before continuing to drink his cup of coffee.

**So…how was it? Better? Worse? Please review and let me know ok? Any guesses as to who the mysterious person is? I tried to make it obvious to true fans but if you didn't get it then that's fine because I love being mysterious. Bwahaha! **


	2. Baby Talk

**Hello and welcome to Guarding Tsuna chapter two! I finally got around to revising that dreadful chapter one and I believe it is much better and has gotten the ball rolling on the plot! The last chapter featured Tsuna's best buds Gokudera and Yamamoto and a botched kidnapping. This chapter gets even juicier! Hint: KUFUFUFU and I'll bite you to death…yeah…excited yet?**

**Warning: Again, this is boy x boy love so be gone if you don't like it! **

**Disclaimer: why do I have to do this again? Don't own…sucks for me.**

"Where is Reborn-san? Juudaime was attacked and Reborn-san isn't here to help us? What is going on?" Gokudera fumed, pacing alongside Tsuna's bed where the small brunette lay sleeping.

Yamamoto smiled and tried to calm him, "Maa maa…Gokudera I'm sure the little guy will be here soon. At least Tsuna is safe here with us."

Gokudera shot a glare at the baseball fanatic before glancing at his bed-ridden boss, "But why was he attacked and by whom?"

"I have an answer to that question Gokudera," replied the voice of Reborn as he walked into the room nonchalantly before hopping onto Tsuna's bed to sit by the feet of his protégé.

"Reborn-san! Thank goodness you're here!" Gokudera let out a breath of relief.

Yamamoto smiled at Reborn and said, "Hey little guy. You said you know why Tsuna was attacked?"

Reborn nodded, "Yes, but you will have to wait until our other guests have arrived for me to explain our new situation."

Yamamoto and Gokudera nodded, the expressions on their faces were grim. Just then the doorbell rang and no more than ten seconds later Tsuna's door was slammed open. Ryohei Sasagawa pushed Yamamoto and Gokudera to the side and was instantly standing over Tsuna, a worried expression on his normally cheerful face.

"Hey! What gives Lawn-head?" Gokudera yelled, glaring at the boxer.

"Sawada! Are you ok? Wake up Sawada!" Ryohei cried out, ignoring Gokudera, before turning to speak to Reborn, who was now dressed as Elder Pao Pao.

"Elder Pao Pao! What's wrong with Sawada?" the sun Guardian demanded, struggling to refrain from shaking the sleeping boy roughly in an attempt to wake him.

Reborn shook his head and explained, "Tsuna is just sleeping right now Ryohei…just be patient and he will wake up soon."

Extremely relieved, Ryohei sighed and smiled down at Tsuna before he turned and seemingly noticed the presence of Yamamoto and Gokudera for the first time, "Oh! Yamamoto and Octupus head are here too?"

Hands shaking in rage, Gokudera was on the verge of exploding at the rambunctious teen when a gush of wind burst into the room through the window, pushing paper off of Tsuna's desk and onto the floor.

Gokudera frowned, forgetting his rage, and said partially to himself, "I thought I closed that window."

Suddenly, the room's occupants, excluding Reborn, jumped in surprise as the dark form of Namimori's Head of the Discipline Committee smoothly climbed into the room through the window. He stood staring at the other shocked Guardians for a moment before glancing at Tsuna and snorting in disgust.

"So the weak herbivore lost in battle…how pathetic," Hibari Kyouya said quietly.

Once again Gokudera was trembling violently as the fury began building up in his veins while both Yamamoto and Ryohei were staring warily at the dangerous man, also upset by his rude words towards Tsuna. Just as Yamamoto was preparing to hold Gokudera back from tearing the prefect apart an eerie laugh drifted into the room, making them all freeze.

"Kufufu…you are mistaken Kyouya…Sawada Tsunayoshi was not defeated in battle so easily. He was caught off guard. The man who defeated me would not have lost in a true battle," Rokudo Mukuro stated calmly as he stepped into the room, Ken and Chikusa on his heels.

The air in the room became thick with anger and tension as the bloodlust of Hibari grew at the sight of his enemy.

He smirked, took out his tonfas, and got into a battle stance, "Rokudo Mukuro…I should have known you would appear in this gathering of herbivores. Prepare to be bitten to death."

Mukuro laughed again and pulled out his trident, also eager to fight the equally violent and sadistic man.

"No…please…don't," a soft voice cut through the malice, capturing the attention of all in the room.

Tsuna lay panting and squirming in his bed, clearly trapped in a nightmare. Gokudera and Yamamoto immediately rushed to his side, wishing they could soothe him. At the same time, Hibari and Mukuro exchanged a look before withdrawing their weapons. They had mentally agreed to not fight near Tsuna, their sky.

Reborn smirked, internally proud at Tsuna's ability to control his Guardians without even knowing it, and said, "Now that we are all here it is time I explain what is going on."

All focus now on the mafia infant, he continued, "Tsuna was attacked by someone from a rival family as most of you may have suspected. However, this family does not want a full-out war with the Vongola and does not seem to wish any harm on Tsuna."

Confused, Gokudera broke the awkward silence following Reborn's statement, "Then why did they try to kidnap him?"

Reborn nodded and continued to explain, "Apparently, the son of this family's leader is in love with Tsuna…and wanted to claim him."

The shock was clear on all of Tsuna's guardians' faces and oddly enough Hibari was the one to voice what they all were thinking, "What right does this herbivore have to CLAIM Sawada Tsunayoshi?"

Reborn smirked as the other Guardians nodded their agreement, "None…but that does not matter to people of the mafia when they want something…they always get what they want no matter what. The real question is…what are you all going to do about this?"

The Guardians tensed and looked at the still sleeping boy they were bound to before turning to Reborn with a determined look in their eyes.

"Good…now that you all have realized how important Tsuna is to you…it is time to explain what you must do. There will be a competition amongst you…for the right to be Tsuna's soulmate," the baby Mafioso said, his eyes gleaming, as he took in the shocked expressions on their faces.

**So? Getting pumped up yet? Wait til next time! KUFUFU Review please!**


	3. The Big Reveal

**Ah! Hello again! I know it seems like it's been forever but I have a schedule to follow. So don't be angwy! PWEASE? (puppy dog eyes) **

**So I must apologize for making a huge mistake last chapter. Reborn was supposed to tell Tsuna's guardians of a Mafia boss who is in love with him…not the son of a mafia boss. Sorry about that. So um, that person's identity will be revealed at the end of this chapter! Trust me when I say it's a shocker! Kinda…sorta…I mean it was to me. Anyway, please enjoy chapter three of Guarding Tsuna!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn…(cries) and it's not fair!**

**Warning: Boy/boy love…and I think some swearing from Gokudera…but that's to be expected from him right?**

The sun caressed Tsuna's face as gently as his mother would. His eyelids fluttered and he groaned as he finally emerged from his forced slumber. Yawning, he sat up and stretched his arms, sighing as his body shook off the last of its numbness. He blinked as his thoughts collected and he examined the room. Nope. No Reborn in sight. Alarmed, he jumped out of bed (his legs still unsteady from sleep) and stumbled out of his room. Something must be wrong. Reborn never lets Tsuna sleep in. The sadistic Arcobaleno enjoys yanking the boy into the reality in different cruel ways every morning.

He dashed to the stairs and was making his way down when, due to his natural clumsiness, he tripped and was pitched forward. He shut his eyes and grimaced, knowing how painful the landing would be. To his elation and surprise, he suddenly felt a strong pair of arms wrap around him, stopping his fall in mid-air. The person held Tsuna tightly to his muscular chest. Tsuna turned beet red from embarrassment but couldn't deny how much he enjoyed the warmth this person was emanating.

"Juudaime!"

"Tsuna!"

The small brunette opened his eyes at the calls of his best friends and sheepishly peered up into the face of his rescuer. He gasped when his eyes met boxing fanatic Sasagawa Ryohei's concerned and saddened wide eyes.

"Onii-san!"

"Sawada! Are you okay? You need to be more careful! Falling down these stairs would have been extremely bad," his Sun Guardian said, catching the others off guard with his serious tone and frown.

"Ah…right. Arigatou," Tsuna replied quietly, troubled by Ryohei's lack of spirit.

Ryohei nodded solemnly and led Tsuna carefully down the stairs and to where Gokudera and Yamamoto were anxiously waiting. They watched in a stunned silence as the boxer mumbled goodbye and left the house. Tsuna was confused by the sudden heaviness in his heart as he saw Kyoko's brother leave. Why did it hurt to see Ryohei so cold? Why did he feel so good in the older boy's arms? Why did Tsuna want Ryohei to kiss him when their eyes met?

Tsuna blushed furiously at his last thought and shook his head frantically, capturing the attention of his friends.

"Juudaime, are you all right? You were ill last night, but you seem better now," Gokudera asked.

Yamamoto laughed awkwardly and agreed, "Yeah, we were really worried about you yesterday. But as long as you're ok now then that's all that matters!"

Tsuna smiled half-heartedly in gratitude before his mind put the last piece of the puzzle into place, "Wait a minute…I was attacked yesterday! I was on my way to school when someone put a sweet-smelling cloth to my face! I don't remember what happened after that though…"

"You were rescued by Yamamoto and Gokudera after that Baka Tsuna," his tutor's familiar insult calming his frazzled nerves.

"Reborn! There you are? What's going on?" Tsuna cried.

Reborn lowered his hat to cover his beady black eyes and smirked, "You will find out what you need to know when the time comes. For now, you need to go to school quickly since you are already running late. Yamamoto and Gokudera will be walking you to and from school from now on so don't make them fall behind as well Dam-Tsuna."

Tsuna opened his mouth to protest when the word "late" hit him full force and he squeaked in panic. Hibari-san and the Discipline Committee would kill him if he was even a few seconds late! He turned and stormed up the stairs to his room, leaving a trail of dust behind him.

After Tsuna had disappeared, Reborn turned to the boy's Guardians, "Remember what we spoke of yesterday. Tsuna is not to know anything of the situation. It is the responsibility of all of his Guardians to watch over him at all times from now on. Keep an eye out for anything suspicious and make sure no one unfamiliar gets close to him. Don't forget to take shifts patrolling the house tonight. And whatever you do, try not to act too differently around him because despite his idiocy, he has a strong intuition and he will easily figure out that something is wrong."

The boys nodded, their mouths set in thin lines of determination and the attention of the trio turned to Tsuna as he quickly reappeared before them, out of breath and flushed. His best friends fought the urge to fawn over the cute boy and a slight pink tint formed in their cheeks. He was just too adorable to resist. No wonder this mystery mafia boss wants him. But they would never let anyone take their precious "Sky" away.

**Twenty Minutes Later…**

The three buddies arrived at the gates of Namimori Junior High two minutes after the bell had rung. They were sweaty, gasping for air, and their clothes were wrinkled. But their appearance was the least of their worries as the sinister presence of their resident gang leader (cough, cough) er…Chairman of the Discipline Committee, loomed before them. He stood with his hands folded over his chest and an irritated scowl on his face. Tsuna reflected that his pale, raven-haired Cloud Guardian would be extremely attractive if it wasn't for his personality. Tsuna shivered at the sudden and disturbing thought. What was wrong with him? First he was getting butterflies over Ryohei and now he was checking out Hibari? Tsuna let a mental scream and jumped as he was snapped back to reality by a strong hand on his wrist.

"Foolish herbivore, I do not like when the person I am speaking to ignores me. Perhaps a severe punishment is in order?"

Tsuna gasped and was shocked even more when he saw his best friends sprawled on the ground unconscious. Hibari had apparently beaten the others to death while he had been in la-la land. He mentally scolded himself before panicking as he remembered Hibari's threat.

"Ano…gomenasai Hibari-san. I did not mean to ignore you. And I'm sorry I was late! But you shouldn't have hurt Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto! Why do you act this way? You may not think of us the same way, but we consider you to be our friend! Well…at least I do."

The color in Tsuna's face drained as he realized he had just made the biggest mistake of his life. Hibari was really going to kill him now. He nervously lifted his gaze to Hibari's hawk eyes and was immensely frightened by the intensity pouring out of them.

"H-hibari…san?" he whispered, faintly wondering why his eyes were now focusing on the sadist's peach lips, which seemed to be coming closer.

The future boss of the Vongola's heart was pounding and his knees were weak. The wrist currently enclosed in Hibari's strong grip felt so hot he wondered if his skin was melting. He did not realize it, but his breathing had become shallow and he had licked his lips unconsciously. His eyelids fluttered before closing as Hibari's lips descended upon his.

Just a few centimeters before their lips were joined, a sharp whistling sound started off quietly before getting louder as it approached them at a startling speed. Hibari moved in a flash and pushed Tsuna to the side. His tonfas were up like lightning and smacked the assailing weapon a good meter away. Tsuna woke from his trance and watched with wide eyes as three figures in black emerged from behind the school. Hibari's eyes narrowed and he tightened his grip on his tonfas. Perhaps he had made an error in judgment when he bit those two fools to death. As idiotic and disgusting as they were, they had proven to be useful when it came to protecting the cute herbivore. His eyes drifted briefly to where said herbivore was standing with his mouth agape as he stared at the approaching threat. Hibari growled as the realization that those weaklings had the nerve to interrupt his near-claim on the boy.

"I don't know who you are and I don't care. But you have done three things to warrant being bitten to death," his menacing voice announced, causing the figures to stop and exchange glances of hesitation.

Tsuna gulped and although he was angry at being attacked by those people, he could not help but to pity them a bit. After all, they seemed destined to be severely bitten to death x3. But in a way he was relieved. They had come just in time to stop what could have been his next big mistake. Kissing Hibari was like a nightmare come true! Whatever caused the tonfa-wielding Guardian to temporarily lose his mind would fade and Tsuna would be left with the blame. There was no way Hibari Kyouya of Namimori would actually want to kiss Sawada Tsunyoshi. No one could possibly want to kiss Dame-Tsuna…right?

The three people in black seemed to have come to a silent understanding and they turned and proceeded to approach Tsuna once again.

Hibari sneered at their stupidity and said, "Wrong move."

He rushed forward and ferociously attacked the trio. Tsuna had trouble deciphering Hibari's movements due to his speed but he could tell that the three figures were able to miraculously keep up with the strong boy. Tsuna suddenly realized that this was becoming a bad situation. If the almighty Chairman of Namimori's Discipline Committee could not land a hit on these guys yet then they were in serious trouble. He gasped as he remembered his two friends and he quickly rushed to their side and tried to wake them up.

"Yamamoto! Gokudera-kun! Please wake up! Hibari-san needs help!" he cried, his hands shaking as he realized that Hibari would have to fight those strong enemies alone.

"I'm so useless…and they are probably here because of me. If only I had the Dying Will Pills with me! Baka baka baka!" he muttered to himself, pulling at his hair in frustration as tears leaked out of his eyes.

"Kufufufu…you don't need to worry about that right now my little Vongola…I am here to protect you," Rokudo Mukuro's voice caught him off guard.

He glanced behind him and was surprised, but relieved, to see his slightly insane Mist Guardian with his companions Chikusa and Ken. Mukuro's mismatched eyes twinkled with excitement and Ken growled in the direction of Hibari's fruitless battle.

"Looks like the skylark needs some help. Pathetic."

Tsuna frowned at Ken's callous remark but stayed silent. Mukuro's familiar grin was in place as he twirled his trident and playfully walked (more like skipped) over to Hibari and his opponents.

"Well well well. What do we have here? Hmm…do my eyes deceive me? I mean, there is no way the infamous Hibari Kyouya could be **losing** a fight… right? The thought is simply inconceivable!" he declared dramatically, a clearly fake confused expression on his face.

The fight came to an abrupt halt and the people in black observed Mukuro's approach in what Tsuna deemed to be stiff apprehension. Why did they suddenly look more nervous? Is there something about Mukuro that really frightens them? Sure Mukuro is strange and kind of crazy and dangerous, but he is equal to Hibari when it comes to power. Plus, with his charming smile and voice and his elegant and almost regal appearance, he was not physically intimidating. Tsuna blinked in shock as his thoughts registered in his brain. Not again! Why does he keep suddenly feeling attracted to his Guardians?

His attention was drawn back to the tense situation at hand when Hibari hissed in clear fury, "I am not in need of assistance…especially not from you…so scurry back to whatever rock you crawled out from Rokudo Mukuro. I will bite you to death later."

Mukuro's fake innocence shattered and he smirked at the black-haired boy before turning to address the masked assailants with a cold stare which caused the enemies to tremble in fear, "Now normally I would not interfere with Kyouya-kun's affairs but since you have also endangered the life of my cute charge, I am afraid you will have to deal with me as well. Poor things…you have made a grave mistake in trying to harm what is mine."

Tsuna gulped again and squealed, "Hiiee! Mukuro-san is really scary right now."

He jumped when Chikusa replied behind him because he had forgotten the quiet boy with glasses was there, "Yes, Mukuro-sama is quite passionate right now. It is very rare to see him like this. Perhaps it is because of you."

Tsuna's eyes grew wide and he glanced back to where Mukuro and Hibari were now preparing to destroy the black-clothed villains, "W-what? What do you mean? Why would Mukuro get upset over me?"

Ken snorted before he bit back, "You really are an idiot! How can you be so clueless? All of these Guardians of yours like you. As in, they want to fuck the shit out of ya…you understand now? Baka."

Tsuna could in stare in horror and shock as Hibari told Mukuro, "Fine, I will allow you to dispose of one of these weak herbivores…if you can. But only this once because I am eager to continue what I was doing before I was so rudely interrupted."

Tsuna stiffened at Hibari's words as he recalled the image of Hibari's lips inches away from his own.

Mukuro's laugh seemed different…more bitter and almost angry as he replied, "Kufufufu…how generous of you Kyouya-kun…of course I will help you return to your previous activity…as long as it is not my Tsunyoshi whose lips you are pressing yours against."

Hibari's eyes widened in surprise before they narrowed. He glared contemptuously at the blue pineapple- haired illusionist and Mukuro simply laughed in response. Tsuna trembled and could only stare in silence. Inside his mind he was having a mental breakdown. Mukuro knows! He was watching! He seems angry! Could what Chikusa said be true? But…so far it only seems to be Mukuro and Hibari. I don't sense any of these types of feelings from the others. But then he got flashbacks of times where Gokludera and Yamamoto's arguments over him seemed to have a bit of hidden meaning behind them and how Ryohei seemed so much more excited whenever Tsuna smiled at him. Plus, the memory of what had occurred that very morning was just one more piece of evidence. Ryohei was clearly upset that Tsuna had almost hurt himself. And the way he had held Tsuna so tightly in his arms and seemed to be reluctant to let him go suddenly made sense.

"My friends…do they really…like me…that way?" he mumbled, his face etched with confusion.

The tense aura was intensified when one of the masked men finally spoke, "This situation has gone out of control. We shall retreat for now. However, should anyone interfere with our plans of bringing Sawada Tsunayoshi with us next time, we will not hold back! Until then Vongola…make sure to keep your innocence intact or you **will** be punished!"

With those strong, authoritative words, the trio disappeared, leaving a cloud of confusion and anger behind. At once the two Guardians turned to face each other with matching venomous glares. Tsuna's heartbeat went into overdrive as he had a premonition of another fierce battle about to occur. It was then that he officially did the bravest/dumbest thing he thought possible. Just as the violent warriors were about to commence a fight to the death, he stood and marched over to them, with determination in his steps.

"Enough! I don't care how much you hate each other! Right now we have more important things to worry about. First of all, Yamamoto and Gokudera-kun's wounds need to be treated and since Dr. Shamal refuses to treat boys I either need help to convince him or I need someone else to help me do it. Secondly, I need to know why we were attacked and who those people were. And third, if you guys don't stop fighting like this I will be forced to do something drastic!"

There was a beat of stunned silence before Mukuro and Hibari exchanged a glance a lowered their weapons before turning to face their young leader. Tsuna blinked, having thought he would be murdered right there and then, but sighed as the weight of what had just happened hit him fully.

"Thank you…I am sorry if I was too harsh but…I needed to do something to stop you guys. I don't know why, but something hurts inside when you fight. It's like my heart is being squeezed and I get dizzy and I can feel my blood rushing through my veins. I'm so confused. Everyone is working so hard to protect me from this new enemy and I don't know what's going on…" Tsuna rambled until he trailed off when he realized he had just opened up to the most unlikely people to even care, let alone listen.

His heart shot to his throat when he felt a strong hand grab his shoulder firmly, but not enough to hurt him, "Silly Tsunayoshi…the answers to all of those questions running through your cute little brain are really very simply. You don't like to see others fighting at all because of your foolish morals and your kindness. Although it is dangerous to live this kind of life and remain so naïve, it is one of your best traits and it is one of the many things which draw us to you."

Tsuna raised his head so that his honey-golden orbs met with Mukuro's blue and red ones. He was amazed to see the unusual warmth and gentleness expressed through those eyes. Mukuro had a small, sad smile on his handsome face and he seemed almost weary. Tsuna's gaze traveled to where Hibari stood only a foot away, the dark-haired tonfa-wielder simply observing the encounter. He noticed Tsuna's eyes on him and scared Tsuna with an almost smile. Was Hibari actually trying to comfort him too? Woah, what has happened to the world?

Tsuna opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by a loud booming voice calling out, "Sawada! Where are you?"

Tsuna's eyes widened and whatever strange spell which had fallen upon his Cloud and Mist Guardians evaporated and they returned to their usual behaviors. Mukuro released him and let out his trademark laugh and Hibari went back to his mask of indifference. Ken and Chikusa, who had remained silent throughout this discussion also turned to face the approaching form of the Sun Guardian. He stopped right in front of Tsuna and surprised everyone by pulling the boy into a warm hug. A protective hug from Ryohei…twice in one day? Ok, now Tsuna was really thinking the world had turned upside down.

"Onii-san? What are you doing here?" he said as he pulled away from the warmth before the butterflies could develop again.

"I don't really know…I just got this strange feeling that something was wrong. I felt like you needed me…" Ryohei stated and he scrunched up his eyebrow in contemplation.

Although they were miffed by the bright boy's sudden appearance, his explanation had captured their interest.

"How peculiar…I was drawn here by the same inkling. It seems something mysterious concerning our Vongola Rings is at work," Mukuro mused loud enough for them all to hear him.

Tsuna sighed and said mostly to himself, "Why do these kinds of things keep happening? Stupid mafia..."

Mukuro laughed, Hibari scoffed (although he was secretly amused) and Ryohei raised an eyebrow. Tsuna blushed as he realized he had spoken out loud.

"Dame-Tsuna. You should be used to this by now," said Reborn.

Tsuna spun around and glared at the infant hit man who was dressed as Elder Pao Pao, "Ciaossu."

Tsuna seethed, glad to finally have someone to release his frustration on and prepared to demand answers, "Reborn! You showed up too late! Where were you when I needed you? What is going on?"

Reborn jumped up and kicked Tsuna in the head, knocking the boy backwards. But luckily (or not for Tsuna) Ryohei caught him out of reflex. Tsuna once again felt the warmth seeping into him and he almost gave into his urge to relax into the boxer's embrace. He snapped out of it just in time and straightened himself, turning to nod his thanks to Kyoko's brother before he stared at Reborn.

"All right Tsuna. It's time I tell you everything. However, we will take this converstation inside because it is not safe out here. Bring Yamamoto and Gokudera to the infirmary and I will have Shamal treat their injuries while we talk."

Tsuna nodded and he and Ryohei walked over to their fallen friends. Ryohei slung Yamamoto over his shoulder and Tsuna was preparing to lift Gokudera onto his back when he was stopped by Chikusa's hand on his arm. Tsuna was going to question the bespectacled boy but the words died before they fell from his lips as Ken rolled his eyes and hefted the bomber onto his back. Tsuna thanked him and was surprised when Ken blushed slightly before turning and walking to the school, cursing and insulting Gokudera the entire way even though the boy couldn't hear him.

Tsuna and Chikusa followed Ryohei and Ken into the school quickly. Reborn had stayed behind with Mukuro and Hibari, they had sensed the Arcobaleno's need to speak with them.

"Hibari…Mukuro…you have done well. I am very pleased by your progress. Tsuna stepped up as your boss and you followed his commands. It seems that his eyes have finally opened and he had at last discovered the extent of your feelings for him. Now that this step has been taken, there is no turning back for any of you. Do you understand?"

They hesitated before nodding.

"Good. The war has just begun and they have made another desperate attempt. Do not take them lightly again. If Mukuro had not arrived, you may have actually lost to them Hibari," at this Hibari tensed and glared at the illusionist as he chuckled quietly, "I am also pleased with your response to Tsuna's little show of vulnerability. Normally it is bad for a mafia boss to show such unease and fragility, but since you are his Guardians it is good for your relationship to become closer. Even though he is good friends with Yamamoto and Gokudera, I have not seen him let them in as much as he let you both in right now. You should feel privileged."

Their eyes widened and Mukuro smiled one of his rare smiles of actual joy and warmth. Hibari's glare disappeared and his face relaxed into one of contentment instead of indifference. There was something about Tsuna that made them feel so out of character. He gave them a sense of comfort and peace. They wanted to protect him and never let him lose his naivety. Never let him lose his kindness. Never let him lose his beautiful smile.

Reborn smirked and cleared his throat, bringing the Guardians out of their fuzzy thoughts and allowing them to slip back into their personas, "Well, let's go inside now. We need to have a talk with the Sky."

**Meanwhile, in a large mansion full of chaos…**

"Please forgive me Longchamp-kun! We have failed you yet again!" the subordinate cried, throwing himself to his knees before the young Mafioso.

A boy around Tsuna's age with red hair blinked as he stared down at his underling who he considered a friend. He had many accessories and a large grin on his face.

"Mangusta! What did I tell you? You don't have to be so down on yourself! Don't worry. I know how tough those Vongola Guardians can be. Goku-chan is quite stubborn when it comes to Sawada-chan and that scary Hibari is a force to be reckoned with. Ah well, we'll be sure to get him next time. I think I'll come along just to be safe. Plus, I really don't think I have the patience to wait a while before I get to see my honey again!"

His eyes turned into stars and he clasped his hands together and giggled. His 40 year-old friend's fingers itched to grab his gun and shoot his boss with the Desolation Bullet to help him make his dream come true. But sadly, Longchamp-kun had ordered him not to use it because it would be an unfair advantage. Besides, he had noticed that the Vongola was somehow immune to the power of the bullet and Hibari was too evil to care.

Naito Longchamp stood proudly with his hands on his hips and stared at a large collage on his wall. There were all sorts of pictures of his latest beloved and soon-to-be new boyfriend. He had never considered dating a boy before, let alone a fellow Mafia boss, but Sawada-chan was just too cute to resist! He swore to himself that by the end of the week, Sawada Tsunayoshi of the Vongola Familigia would be his next and final lover! This would be the relationship of his dreams! Nothing would tear them apart!

He turned to face Mangusta with a bright smile, "Besides…I've got some outside assistance in this matter."

Mangusta raised an eyebrow, "Longchamp-kun…you did not tell me of this. What is your plan?"

Longchamp chuckled and turned back to face his Tsuna collection and replied mysteriously, "I, my friend, have secured a spy within the Vongola's ranks. This individual has sworn to help me achieve my goal. When I asked this person why they had volunteered to assist me, all they said was 'He has held me back from achieving my dream for too long. This is the best option to get him out of my way without hurting him'. I was a bit worried but I've observed this person carefully and have decided they can be trusted."

Mangusta nodded his approval and noticed that the 8th generation leader of the Tamaso family had slipped into one of his dream states so he quietly left.

"Sawada-chan…Tsuna…I can't explain it. I don't know what it is about you. But I've fallen for you. I've never liked someone this much before. It's kind of scary. Could this be…love?" Longchamp whispered as he reached out and gently touched one of his favorite pictures.

**So…how was that? I am so pumped to the EXTREME! This was my longest chapter of a fan fic. EVER. How cool is that? I tried to incorporate a lot of Tsuna's connections to his Guardians and even though they were all a bit out of character (Gokudera: A bit? More like we are completely different characters!) I really like the way they turned out. Mukuro-sama made me so happy! He was all loving and sweet with Tsuna and all cool and badass and scary with the bad guys. **

**But the shocker was Longchamp yes? I recently discovered his existence and he is so kooky I was smitten immediately. Is he in the anime too? I've watched it but skipped some episodes so I don't know if he appeared there at all. But if you don't know him or his background then read volume 6 chapters 44-47. I read it at . **

**So tune in next time for more drama, romance, action, and humor. Plus the romance. Lots and lots of that. Yay! I have a schedule posted on my profile/bio so please check that so you will know when I will be updating this story and my other stories! My next chapter of Good for Something is coming up next week. Hope you enjoyed this! Please read and review!**

**ALSO, please take my poll on my profile page so that you can decide who Tsuna ends up with!**


	4. The Nightmare

…**wow. I can not believe I am doing this. I should be doing homework! GAH! I already updated this story last week. This week is supposed to be chapter three of Good for Something! Why am I updating Guarding Tsuna already! (smacks head) I don't really know…call me crazy. I just so sucked into this story that I had to write more. This chapter will probably be much shorter than the last one (sorry) but that's because I really don't have time…**

**Anyway, last time I focused on Hibari, Mukuro, and a bit on Ryohei…and of course introduced the wacky Naito Longchamp! This time is more about Tsuna with Gokudera and Yamamoto and another shocker…about why Ryohei is acting so strange and the spy is revealed! Dun dun dun!**

**Warning: boy/boy love. If you don't like then don't read. Seriously. Probably some more swearing from Ken and Gokudera.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own. Not gonna repeat this anymore. It hurts too much. (cries)**

**Guarding Tsuna chapter four**

"Naito Longchamp wants you and will stop at nothing to get you Dame-Tsuna," Tsuna's tutor, who was still dressed as Elder Pao Pao, announced.

Tsuna blinked, his brain too overwhelmed to come up with a response for a good thirty seconds before… "EH? Longchamp-kun? Doushite?"

The other people present in the room mentally slapped their heads. The boy really could be an idiot at times…especially when it comes to other people's feelings for him.

"Pyon! Wake up and smell the hormones! I told you before didn't I? Everyone wants to bang the hell out of you. You're small, scrawny, naïve, and weak…but you're cute and way too kind and generous. Of course other people outside of your family are going to notice," Ken growled, his frustration preventing him from realizing he had just blurted out his thoughts.

The room grew eerily silent as its occupants stared at the blonde spiky-haired teen with fangs. He turned so red it was almost like he had come up with a new transformation into a strawberry. Mukuro chuckled at his follower's outburst. Ken always had difficulty keeping his emotions in check. Well, it was still quite endearing.

Tsuna broke the silence, "Ano…I really don't see myxelf that way…and it's still hard for me to believe that so many people like me. But it's not like Longchamp-kun to be so demanding or violent! I have to speak with him. I need to sort out this mess."

Reborn frowned at his student and shook his head, "Tsuna. I understand your need to pacify this situation in order to protect your family and that is honorable, but it would be a dumb move if we let you go face-to-face with him right now. There is more to the story that you have not heard yet…let me finish explaining before you go make rash decisions."

Tsuna's eyes widened before he nodded. Of course there was something deeper going on. Things are never simple when it comes to the mafia.

"As I am sure you have become aware of recently Tsuna, you are now beginning to feel a strong attraction to your guardians," Reborn began.

Tsuna blushed furiously and glanced down to the floor to avoid the intense gazes of his Guardians. _Great, now they know I've been checking them out! Damn Reborn and his mind-reading!_

"There is nothing to worry about though. This is just the Vongola Rings trying to balance out the connection between you and the Guardians. The Rings have realized the depth of their feelings for you and so they have awakened the emotions which have been lying dormant in your heart."

Tsuna gasped and held his Sky ring up. _Just how much power does this thing have over my life?_

"Hmm…so I was correct in my theory that the rings are now able to notify us whenever Tsunayoshi is in need?"

Reborn nodded and cleared his throat, "Tsuna…before you start to freak out and blame the Rings for your confusion, let me tell you something. The rings are not creating those feelings out of thin air. Any attraction you have for your protectors is completely natural. It is coming from you. The strength has just been amplified enough for you to finally acknowledge it."

Tsuna sighed and put his head in his hands, fighting the urge to break down into hysterics, "Why is this happening? Why couldn't these rings just leave us alone? Even if these feelings were already in my heart, bringing them all to the surface at once has only made me even more confused. I love Kyoko-chan! And…I'm not gay!"

In his moment of distress, Tsuna had forgotten the presence of Sasagawa Ryohei, Kyoko's brother, and he gasped before staring in horror at the shorter male, "Sawada…you have feelings for Kyoko? Since when? How? Why?"

Tsuna raised his head from his hands and his wide honey eyes met with pained brown ones, "Onii-san…I am so sorry. I never meant to tell you this way…I've been in love with Kyoko-chan for so long I can't remember how or when it started. Gomenasai."

Ryohei exhaled a shaky breath and dropped his chin to his chest. He was the image of a broken man, and Tsuna's heart sank as he realized it was his fault…again.

"There is no use denying what you feel for us any longer Tsunayoshi. We care deeply for you and now we know you hold us close to your heart as well. Now that I know there is some hope for us after all, I will not hold back. I won't let you go. There is no turning back now. One of us will be your soul mate and I am determined to make sure it is me," Mukuro declared, his tone resonating strength and passion.

Tsuna squeaked and jumped as the illusionist wrapped his arms around the smaller boy and nuzzled the side of his neck. Hibari's eyes narrowed and his aura darkened. Ryohei glared at the scene with a fire in his eyes Tsuna was sure had been extinguished.

"Release him now or you will suffer the consequences Rokudo Mukuro," the prefect stabbed the air with his icicles.

Tsuna shivered as Mukuro's breath tickled his ear as he whispered, "Oya? Kyouya-kun seems a bit upset? Maybe we should take this somewhere private so that he doesn't have to see our display of love?"

"Let Juudaime go you bastard!" a sharp, familiar voice called out.

Tsuna's eyes widened and he pulled away from Mukuro's hold. He turned to face the door and was overjoyed to see his friend and self-proclaimed right hand man. The gray-haired bomber stomped over to his boss and enveloped him in a protective squeeze. Normally, Tsuna would be a bit annoyed and freaked out by this over-dramatic display of affection, but he found himself enjoying the feeling of utter security in his best friend's arms. _Don't let me go Gokudera-kun. He smells so nice and our bodies are perfectly aligned. It's almost like we were meant to be._

"Kufufufu…it seems the weak storm has finally regained its strength. Tell me Gokudera Hayato-kun…does it bother you to know that your precious Juudaime has feelings for someone other than you? He does you know…have feelings for other people. In fact, he loves **all** of us," the Mist Guardian said almost carelessly, throwing a smirk in Gokudera's face.

Tsuna felt his friend stiffen and was released from the tight embrace. Gokudera stood protectively in front of the boy he loved and snarled at the smirking demon.

"I don't care what you say you sadistic pineapple-bastard! Stay the hell away from Juudaime! Even if he does love us all, I will still protect him from freaks like you!"

Tsuna stared at the back of Gokudera's head, his mind spinning, before he softly spoke, "Gokudera-kun…thank you. I know I don't say it enough and I know I've never been fair to you. But I really am grateful for everything you have done for me. The thing is…Mukuro was right. I do have f-feelings for you. All of you."

Gokudera's eyes grew in shock and he spun around to face his boss, "Nani? Honto ni? Juudaime…I…I've waited so long to hear you say that. But I didn't want to pressure you or rush you into anything. I am so honored you have chosen one as pathetic as me to have a place in your wonderful heart."

Tsuna yelped as Gokudera fell to his knees and bowed with tears streaming down his smiling face. The spiky-haired brunette smiled and awkwardly patted Gokudera's head. Even though the sight of his intelligent friend bowing before him had become a regular occurrence in his life, it was still quite disturbing.

"Hey Tsuna! This looks like a fun party!" Yamamoto's cheerful voice interrupted the sounds of Gokudera's joyful wailing.

Tsuna's face broke into a relieved smile at the sight of his tall baseball-playing friend, "Yamamoto! I'm so glad you're ok too!"

Yamamoto walked over and threw his arm, per usual, over the smaller boy's shoulder, unknowingly causing a ripple of anger throughout the room's other occupants.

"So, what's wrong with Gokudera?"

Said tearful boy shot to his feet and glared contemptuously at the tall grinning boy, "Urusai…you damn baseball idiot! Why do you always have to come in and ruin the moment? Stop showing off that goofy grin! And stop touching Juudaime! Just because he somehow has feelings for you too doesn't mean you can treat him so casually!"

Yamamoto raised an eyebrow and he looked down at Tsuna with a question in his warm brown eyes. Tsuna smiled shyly back at his Rain Guardian and nodded.

Yamamoto's grin turned into a bright smile and he leaned down to pull Tsuna into a gentle cuddle. Tsuna blushed and fought a sudden urge to faint. Yamamoto was so tall and strong and manly. He made Tsuna feel so dainty and almost…girly. When Yamamoto smiled, he felt his insides melt and his heart pounded wildly. _He smells good too…like a fresh stream or a rainforest. It's almost like when he touches me I feel purified. I don't know why I never realized this before…I feel so special when I'm around all of them. I don't want these feelings to go away._

Gokudera sputtered obscenities at the baseball fanatic who just laughed merrily and slowly released Tsuna. Ken scoffed in annoyance and Chikusa sighed and stared out the window. Hibari observed with a deep scowl and a steely glare while Mukuro only had eyes for the cute Vongola. Ryohei stood apart from the group and his head had returned to his chest. He leaned against a wall and his shoulders were slumped in dejection. Although Reborn was amused by the interaction between Tsuna and his best friends, he frowned at the gloomy waves the normally cheerful and energetic Sun Guardian was producing. Something was seriously wrong with the boy.

"Gokudera-kun…Yamamoto…I'm so glad you're both ok now. I was really worried when you wouldn't wake up earlier," Tsuna said.

The temperature in the room plummeted immediately after his words as Hibari strode over to the trio and grabbed Tsuna's arm, shot his friends a threatening look, and dragged the poor boy out of the room. Gokudera and Yamamoto were about to rush after them when Reborn called for them to stop.

"Let them go. Tsuna will be fine…for now. There are other things we must discuss," Reborn stated calmly, eyeing the others in a way which clearly told them not to question him, "Ryohei…you need to tell us what has happened. You have been acting strangely since you yesterday."

The oddly quiet boxer lifted his gaze from the floor to scan the room. When he noticed Tsuna's absence, he sighed and pushed himself away from the wall. The scarred boy stared at Reborn and clenched his fists. The others in the room observed his strange behavior in silence.

"Elder Pao Pao…I had a dream last night. It was after you told us what was happening after Sawada was attacked. I've tried to stay calm and not let it show, especially in front of Sawada…but I guess I haven't trained hard enough to hide my emotions," he explained dimly.

Gokudera and Ken were both about to chastise him for acting this way just because of a bad dream, but they were cut off by Reborn, "I see. Tell us what happened in the dream."

Ryohei paled and Yamamoto could almost swear he saw Ryohei's eyes water as his senpai responded, "In the dream…Sawada was laughing with my sister and they were holding hands as they walked to school. They seemed so happy and as much as I love him, I knew I just wanted them to be happy so I kept my distance. But then, just as they got to the front gate…someone stepped out of the shadows. Even though he left the darkness, I still couldn't see his face. I got this feeling that something bad was going to happen and I tried to warn them, run to them, do something…anything…but I couldn't move or speak! And then…I heard a shot."

Everyone was tense and if they had been sitting, they would have been on the edge of their seats in anticipation. They waited anxiously for Ryohei to continue but were thrown for a loop when the strong boy suddenly collapsed to his hands and knees, his body trembling as he sobbed. A wave of horror hit them as they wondered what else Ryohei had dreamt that could tear him to pieces and leave him in this terrible state. Yamamoto frowned and slowly approached the distraught boxer. He got down on his knees beside his elder and rubbed the boy's back in soothing circles. Reborn's expression darkened and Mukuro's eyes narrowed. That was no ordinary dream.

Gokudera voiced what everyone was thinking, "So…what happened next?"

Ryohei took a deep breath and staggered to his feet, holding onto Yamamoto for support before he met everyone's gaze one by one and replied shakily, "It all happened so fast. I saw him fall to the ground and then Kyoko was screaming. I saw all of you come running to his side but it was too late. There was yelling and crying and Hibari went after the man who did it but he had disappeared. I wanted to comfort Kyoko but I still couldn't move. Suddenly there was a gap in the crowd around his body…and I could see him. There was so much blood. He had been shot right in the head. His eyes…those beautiful eyes…they were still open! And for some reason it was like he was just staring at me! I swear I could hear him asking me why in my head. He asked me why I didn't protect him. He told me it was my fault. He told me he thought I loved him. He told me…he told me…he said he hated me."

The silence was heavy. Gokudera knew there were tears trickling down his face but he didn't care. He felt cold, numb. It was almost as if it had already happened. Yamamoto's smile was gone and he had paled as well. Somehow he knew, this was not a game. Mukuro's face was blank, but his eyes were cloudy. He knew he would have to become Chrome soon but he was glad the girl was still sleeping. She would have been hysterical if she heard this. If he could barely contain himself from screaming, then he had no idea how the others were coping. The thought of losing Tsunayoshi…no, if he even entertained the thought he knew he would snap. Sanity was a difficult thing to hold on to.

Ken and Chikusa were tense as well. Ken bit his lip hard enough for blood to be released. Chikusa felt his heart clench in fear and his normal blank expression fell apart as he frowned. Even though they knew the future mafia leader would never feel that way for them, they still cared a great deal for him. After all, he had been concerned for them. He had accepted them. He had given them and Mukuro-san his warm smile. Their loyalties lied with Mukuro, and since he was devoted to Tsuna…then so were they. Just as they would die for Mukuro…they would give up everything they had to protect the little Vongola.

"Thank you for telling us Ryohei. I am truly sorry you had to relive that, but it is important for us to know what was troubling you. This dream is clearly not a normal nightmare. While it may not be a vision of the future…it is definitely a warning. I believe the Rings are trying to send you a message. We will have to wait and see if my guess is correct. If one of Tsuna's other guardians receives a dream either equal to or similar to this one…then we will know for sure. If something bad is coming, we need to be ready to protect Tsuna…at all costs," Reborn said.

The others, still deeply troubled, nodded solemnly. Now they were definitely not going to let Tsuna out of their sight…they would not let anything harm the beautiful boy who had claimed their hearts.

**Meanwhile…outside of the school**

Naito Longchamp's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. If what he just heard was true…then his beloved Sawada-chan was in danger! He closed his mouth and set his lips in a determined line. Pivoting, he faced his team and stared at them with a glint in his eyes.

"My new boyfriend is in trouble. I don't care if his Guardians claim to love him. None of them could possibly love him as much as I do! I will do whatever it takes to protect him! Ok…it is time to commence with the plan. Now we have even more reason to bring him home with us. We need to keep him safe!"

Mangusta nodded fiercely while the other two rolled their eyes and stayed quiet. Their boss could be such an idiot.

"Well said Longchamp-kun! I will help you make your dream come true!" Mangusta exclaimed with his fist lifted in excitement.

He pulled out his gun and was about to shoot Naito with a Desolation Bullet when the energetic boss of the Tomaso family stomped his foot and shook his head.

"This is not the time for that right now Mangusta! That bullet is not going to help keep Sawada-chan safe! Whoever this villain is…I have a feeling the bullet will have no affect on him. Now…it's time I get in contact with our mole. They are the key to our success in rescuing my beloved!"

Mangusta's shoulders slumped in disappointment. He really wanted to use the bullet but he would obey his leader. But he tilted his head to the side in curiosity.

"Longchamp-kun…who is the mole and how will we get in touch with them?"

Naito grinned and flipped a peace sign of victory as he replied, "Well that's simple. The mole is-oh look! There they come!"

Mangusta turned quickly to look in the direction his boss was pointing. He could see the figure of a person approaching. He squinted his eyes in an attempt to discern the identity of the mystery informant. When the person was finally only about eight feet away, he gasped as he realized they were female! He shot a confused look to his boss who was smiling and humming a happy tune, before he returned to watching the girl approach. She finally got close enough for him to clearly take in her features. She was a petite girl with orange-blond hair. She was wearing the Namimori uniform and she oozed serenity and maturity as she walked.

The girl, who seemed somewhat familiar to Mangusta, stopped in front of Naito and gave him a sparkling smile, "Hello Longchamp-kun! I am sorry it took me so long to leave class. I had to finish the assignment before I could ask to be excused."

Naito shook his head and returned the smile and he laughed, "You're such a good student! Don't worry about it. I'm already grateful to you for all of your help!"

She nodded and her smile became a bit strained, "Are you going to do it today?"

Naito raised an eyebrow in confusion before realization hit and he nodded, "Yep! I'm going to bring my honey home with me right now!"

The girl's smile evaporated and seriousness set into her face, "I see. Well, what can I do to help?"

Naito took a deep breath and exhaled noisily as he thought it over before he replied, "I hope you don't mind but I'd like you to be a decoy. I need you to put on a show of some sort to give us the opportunity to grab him and get some distance before his Guardians can interfere. We don't want another fierce battle. I really dislike violence but the need to take my Sawada-chan has risen. It's not just because I want him now…it's because I need to keep him safe. This has become a matter of life and death."

Her eyes widened in surprise before they lowered and became saddened, "I suppose this really is for the best then. I care for Tsuna-kun…and I really want him to be safe. But I know that everyone around him is in danger and after everything I've seen…I can't just stand by and watch people I care about get hurt."

Naito nodded, his grin gone, and he said seriously, "You are absolutely right. Please believe me when I say that you are doing what is best for everyone. One day, they will understand and they will thank us. They may be hurt and angry at first, but once they see how safe and happy I can keep my Sawada-chan, everything will be great!"

She smiled again but the tears in her eyes revealed her heartbreak, "Thank you Longchamp-kun. I'll go distract them now. Please hurry and take Tsuna-kun away as soon as you can."

She turned and quickly began to walk back to the school when Naito called out to her, making her pause, "Thank you so much Kyoko-chan!"

Kyoko did not turn to acknowledge his words nor did she reply. She simply continued to walk with her head down and tears pouring out of her shut eyes. She repeatedly told herself that she was doing the right thing, but she couldn't ignore the voice in her head screaming for her to stop before it was too late. _I'm so sorry Tsuna-kun…but I can't see Onii-san get hurt anymore. _

**Yeah…so I cannot believe I just did the most stupidest thing ever! Skipping homework and writing a fan fic. WOW. (smacks head) Now I have to stay up late to do my work! AH! Darn plot bunnies! (strangles bunnies) Oh…but they're so cute! How could I hurt them? (cuddles bunnies and apologizes to them). Eh…so what did you guys think? Another shocker! The spy/traitor is Kyoko! Ryohei was acting that way because of a terrible nightmare! Is it a vision or just a metaphorical warning? Stay tuned for the next chapter! Now I definitely veered off course from my schedule and from the plans I had written for this story! (sigh) But it's turned out pretty good nonetheless.**

**Once again, please check my profile page to vote for who Tsuna should end up with in this story! Even though it may seem pointed in the direction of certain pairings at this point, have no fear! I will go by your votes and I do plan on expanding the connections with all of his Guardians. Next chapter has Tsuna in a fiery exchange with Hibari, Longchamp's plan is put into action, and…the dramatic and perfectly timed entrance of Lambo! Yes…I am going to include him! Yay! Lambo-san rules the world!**


	5. The Plan and its failure?

**Why? Why does this keep happening? Seriously. Tell me people. I'm insane. I have to be. I am supposed to be finishing Restless Days…but I just HAD to work on Guarding Tsuna. Again…why?! (cries in a dark corner) Eh, please enjoy and make sure to review! If you haven't voted yet then please do! I value your opinion and I want Tsuna to end up with the right Guardian!**

**Warning: Boy/boy/boy/boy…eh a lot of boys in love with one boy ok?**

**Disclaimer: Don't own…never will. Unless… (hatches evil plans)…nah, that would never work.**

**Guarding Tsuna chapter 5**

Hibari pushed the frightened herbivore into an empty classroom and slammed the door shut. Tsuna squeaked as the dangerous prefect suddenly pulled him into a tight hold.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi…I have had enough of other herbivores trying to place a claim on you. You belong to me…and now I will officially mark you as my property."

Imagine the deepest red you can and that is what Tsuna's face turned into. He opened and closed his mouth like a fish trying to breathe out of water but was stopped when Hibari crushed their lips together. It was a harsh kiss which clearly represented Hibari's take-no-prisoners attitude. Tsuna felt his eyes roll towards the back of his head and he once again felt like he would melt. _Yes Hibari-san…I am all yours._

"HELP! Somebody help me! PLEASE!" a girl's voice shrieked suddenly from the hallway.

The kiss was abruptly ended as Hibari pulled away reluctantly with a growl. Whoever was screaming had better have a good reason or else there would be blood. Lots and lots of blood.

He turned to glance at the herbivore, who still seemed a bit out of it from their kiss, and ordered, "Stay here and don't let anyone else in."

Tsuna nodded dumbly and Hibari smirked. He may be a weak herbivore…but he was so darn cute. And so, the ever-vigilant protector of Namimori rushed off to confront the situation at hand. No one ruined the order of his school and got away with it. Not on his watch.

"H-hibari-san…kissed me?" Tsuna whispered as he lightly touched his swollen lips.

**In the hall…**

Hibari and the rest of the Discipline Committee were quickly gathered in the hallway near their headquarters. Already a large crowd of students and faculty had arrived so the committee members pushed past them and tried to restore order. In the middle of the crowd stood Sasagawa Kyoko, the younger sister of the boxing club's leader and the long-time love interest of Sawada Tsunayoshi. In Hibari's mind…she was simply a nuisance, and he desperately wanted her out of the picture, but since she was a student of Namimori he knew it was his duty to help her.

He approached the trembling girl cautiously as though she were an animal scared enough to lash out, "What is the problem here? Were you the one who screamed?"

Kyoko nodded and blinked tears out of her eyes, "Hai… Hibari-san. I'm sorry for causing such a fuss but someone grabbed me from behind and told me not to move. I was so frightened that I hit him and ran away."

Hibari's eyes narrowed and he said through clenched teeth, "Did you see this person?"

She shook her head and jutted out her bottom lip in a pathetic attempt to pout, "No, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking when it happened. I just reacted and ran away screaming."

Hibari sighed mentally before he asked, "Alright…where did this incident occur?"

Kyoko seemed to ponder this for a moment, which was a minute too long in Hibari's opinion, before she gasped and said, "Oh! I'm pretty sure it was around the cafeteria!"

Hibari forced himself not to grab her by those thin, frail shoulders and shake the truth out of her as he said, "I see. Well, thank you for the… help…and I am sorry you had to endure such a traumatic experience. This will be taken care of immediately."

With a slight nod of his head, his men set out to force the crowd back to where they were supposed to be. Hibari observed through a piercing glare as the girl was escorted back to class with her black-haired friend. There were so many holes in Kyoko's story that the Guardian of Cloud was positive she was hiding something. He knew there was no intruder since his men would have noticed and informed him. Also, why wasn't in class to begin with? An outright lie in her story was that she was supposedly attacked by the cafeteria. He had clearly heard her cry for help in this hallway near the Reception room and the cafeteria was much further down to the other side of the building. Nothing made sense. She was obviously lying…but for what purpose?

**In the Reception Room…**

The Guardians and infant hit man tensed in unison as Kyoko's scream reached their ears. They were all instantly on their guard and prepared to investigate the matter when Reborn cleared his throat to gain their attention.

"Stay here. Hibari and his men will handle this. We still have a troubling situation at hand," he said in such a commanding tone that no one thought to disobey.

Well…no one except for Ryohei who boomed frantically, "But Elder Pao Pao! I have to hurry and help Kyoko! I'd know her voice anywhere! It's my duty as an EXTREME older brother to take care of her!"

There was a collective rising of eyebrows at this new bit of information. Sasagawa Kyoko was the one who screamed? Wouldn't Tsuna be worried? Wouldn't he be running to her side…right now? At that thought, they turned to the door and prepared to rush to the cute brunette's side but were stopped by Reborn once again.

"Yes, Kyoko did cry for help, but as I said before…Hibari will take care of it. Ryohei…you are needed here. Do not worry everyone…Tsuna is not in danger at the moment."

No one realized the powerful affect those words had on them as the tension drained out of their bodies. Even Ryohei, who had been poised to charge into battle if need be, now seemed more at ease. He trusted Elder Pao Pao and he knew that Hibari was always on top of things. As long as Tsuna would be safe…that was all that mattered to him.

"Now, I believe Naito Longchamp will be making his move in the next few minutes. Please do not panic. Being in the mafia means we have to be aware of everything at all times. So, I received information on the going-ons of the Tamaso family a few days ago from a trust-worthy source. Apparently, Longchamp somehow managed to convince someone in Tsuna's family to spy for him. At first I was not sure who it could be and had to have all of you followed…"

Everyone's eyes widened (except for Mukuro) as they had not noticed anyone following them. They all felt extremely foolish and realized that their senses needed to be sharpened.

Reborn noticed their reaction and smirked before he continued with a small frown, "…but my hunch was just proven to be correct only a moment ago."

It was Chikusa who placed the last piece of the puzzle into its spot and quietly devised the answer, "Sasagawa Kyoko was the spy…and right now she was serving as a decoy."

Reborn nodded, pleased with Chikusa's quick-thinking, and Mukuro nodded in agreement as his eyes narrowed. The rage was building and he knew that if he did not see his Tsunayoshi soon…well…it would not be very pleasant. That little twit had the nerve to betray his soulmate. Now, she would pay dearly for her error.

"No…Kyoko couldn't have. My sister is innocent to the MAX!" Ryohei roared as he refused to believe the truth even though it was smacking him in the face.

Gokudera hissed in frustration at the boxer's thick-headedness, "Listen you dumb Lawn-head…Reborn-san is never wrong about things like this! It makes perfect sense! Your sister betrayed us so you're just going to have to accept it and move on! You care about Tsu- I mean Juudaime… don't you?"

Ryohei's eyes widened and he stared in shock at his friend/rival. He didn't want to believe it…but for once he knew he had to listen to his head instead of his heart.

The boxing fanatic sighed and nodded as he said, "I guess you're right Octupus-head. Sawada needs me right now and if Elder Pao Pao says my sister turned her back on me then I have to believe him. But I want you all to know that even if she did do it…she must have had a really good reason to the EXTREME!"

The room's other occupants nodded grimly and Reborn said, "Good…now that everyone is settled…let me tell you my plan. If you want to keep Tsuna safe then you will do exactly as I say."

The boys nodded again with their eyes a-glow with the fire of their will to protect the adorable future head of the Vongola.

**Back with Tsuna…**

"I wonder what's going on out there?" Tsuna said out loud into the empty room.

He knew it had only been about three minutes since his Cloud Guardian had left but it felt like hours. He kept trying to tell himself that he was angry with Hibari for forcing a kiss on him…but deep down he knew that he had enjoyed it. _Heck…I was aching for it last time and now that it finally happened I can't help wanting more! Eep! What is happening to me? Stupid Vongola rings…_

"Hey Sawada-chan! How's it going?" a cheerful voice called to him and broke him out of his thoughts.

The small boy jumped in surprise (_I thought I was the only one here)_ and turned to see who was standing in front of one of the windows. Tsuna gasped as he recognized the grinning red-headed mafia boss leaning casually against the window sill.

"EH? Longchamp-kun? It's you! Why are you here? How did you get in? Ah! I'm so confused!" Tsuna yelped and waved his arms wildly as he freaked out.

Longchamp burst out into hysterical laughter at Tsuna's cute and amusing antics, causing the brunette to stop mid-rant. When he had finally calmed down enough to breathe normally, the outgoing boy flashed his love a charming smile. Tsuna resisted an eye twitch and sighed. _That guy is still really weird._

"Sawada-chan…it's time for you to come with me. Please don't make this harder than it has to be. I'm doing what is best for you," Longchamp said seriously, his usual grin nowhere to be found.

Tsuna gulped as he realized that his friend was not going to take no for an answer. What had happened to the boy he used to know?

"Ano…Longchamp-kun…why are you doing this?" he asked shyly as he stealthily began to back away towards the door.

Longchamp squinted his eyes thoughtfully before a light bulb seemed to go off and he smiled brightly as he declared, "I'm taking you home to keep you safe because I love you! DUH!"

Tsuna was so shocked that he froze in place and paled considerably. _No way…not another person! Why are all of my friends falling in love with me?_

The red-head blinked innocently as he took in Tsuna's reaction before he chuckled, "So cute Sawada-chan! You see? That's why I love you! You're going to be my boyfriend ok? So let's go home now!"

Tsuna's amber eyes widened in horror and he tried to protest but his mouth refused to open and his limbs refused to cooperate as he tried to run away. _Someone please help me! Hibari-san…Yamamoto…Gokudera-kun…Onii-san…Mukuro! Anyone!_

Suddenly, out of nowhere came a familiar rambunctious laugh as a small boy with cow horns jumped into the room via an open window, "BWAHAHAHA! Lambo-san has arrived to save Baka-Tsuna! Be prepared to die villain!"

Tears streamed down Tsuna's face as he cursed his terrible luck. Of all people to show up in his time of need…Lambo…seriously? WHY?! Longchamp made a strange face; a mixture between amusement, confusion, and annoyance. He really wasn't sure what to make of the noisy cow but he didn't have time to deal with that. He had come for his love and he was not going to leave empty-handed.

"Uh…that's nice kid. Go play pretend somewhere else ok? Come on Sawada-chan…it's time to go."

Tsuna wailed mentally as he realized he was back to square one. No one was going to save him and he would be stuck as the strange mafia boss's latest "love".

Just when he thought all hope was lost, he heard Lambo's common chant, "To-le-rate!"

The minute Longchamp grabbed Tsuna by the hand and began pulling him to the window, Lambo snapped and burst into tears. The crybaby pulled out his infamous 10-year bazooka and pulled the trigger. A recognizable and greatly welcomed puff of pink smoke appeared, catching the spiky-haired Mafioso off guard. Out of the smoke stepped a full-grown Lambo with a bored expression on his face. He quickly assessed the situation and sighed.

With his open green eye focused on Tsuna, he said, "Yare yare…it seems you are in trouble yet again little Vongola. Need some help?"

And so, an unlikely savior appeared…but instead of feeling relieved…Tsuna paled at the terrible thoughts racing through his mind. _Wow…Lambo looks so hot when he is older. He has beautiful eyes…well eye. Too bad about the age difference. Maybe in the future we could- _No…stop right there. This was getting way out of hand.

So Tsuna did the only thing he thought he could do in this predicament and squeaked, "Yes, some help would be nice."

**OK! How was that? MWAHAHAHA. Betcha didn't expect that eh? Them apples iz good ne? Ah, ignore my lame-ness and please review. Don't forget to vote in the poll and no…sadly Lambo is not one of the options (the age difference really sucks).**

**Check my profile for the date I'll post the next chapter! But seeing how I keep straying when it comes to this story…it may come sooner yet again. **

**Next chapter includes the outcome of the confrontation between Longchamp and Lambo, Yamamoto and Tsuna get some face-to-face time in a confined space( for all you 8027 fans out there), and Kyoko has to deal with the wrath of her big brother! GASP! It's gonna be EXTREME! LOL. Yeah, I'll go wash dishes now. **


	6. The Plan, its failure, and baseball

**MWAHAHA! I have returned! At last, I bring my favorite chapter of Guarding Tsuna…for now! Why is this one my favorite? Well…(hint hint)…it focuses more on sexy guys other than Hibari and Mukuro…(another huge hint)…guys who deserve more attention from Tsuna! (Awkward cough) So yeah, if you haven't voted yet then you are free to wait until the second-to-last chapter! I will let you guys know when that is…but I plan on making this my longest fan fiction yet! So…I'm aiming for about 10-12 chapters! Is that ok with you guys? Um…please vote and if you changed your mind about the pairing then let me know in a review! OH! There are shocking mentions and hints of other pairings as well! Look for those!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own them…only in my dreams…**

**Warning: Homosexuality galore! (Evil cackle)**

**Guarding Tsuna chapter six: Home Run**

"Where did that cow-kid go?" Longchamp asked in confusion.

Tsuna would have explained the transformation of his youngest Guardian, but he felt drained of all his energy. His life was getting too chaotic for him to be able to keep up.

"Hey you…I don't know what's going on here but I can see that you've upset little Vongola. I, Bovino Lambo, am his Guardian of Thunder so I will do what is necessary to protect him," Lambo cited in a bored tone.

Tsuna felt a twinge of annoyance. _Why does he have to say it so…dispassionately? It's almost like it was rehearsed! Don't tell me he's gotten used to saying things like that in the future? Am I that weak then? Do I always need to be rescued?_

Longchamp blinked at the cow-teen and shrugged his shoulders before his eyes narrowed and he said forcefully, "I get that you want to protect Sawada-chan…and I don't blame you for being worried about him. He's just so cute isn't he? That's why I love him! So, you don't need to worry about him being with me. He will be safe in my hands. I give you my word as the boss of the Tamaso family that I will NOT let anyone hurt my precious boyfriend!"

Tsuna wanted to chalk up the sudden rush of warmth flowing through him at Naito's strong words as a combination of the affect of the Vongola rings and stress. But he knew that denial was not a good place to be. _This is nothing! It's not like I suddenly have feelings for Naito Longchamp! No way!_

Lambo's bored countenance vanished in a flash and he opened his other striking green eye to glare at the red head. Tsuna felt an inkling of panic form in his stomach and he began to sweat. _I have a bad feeling about this. They both seem so serious. Are they really going to fight?_

Lambo answered his silent question as he told him, "Stay back Vongola…I'll handle this." He gently pushed Tsuna back before grabbing his horns and getting them to start forming sparks of electricity between them.

Longchamp scowled, clearly frustrated by the unexpected obstacle Lambo had become, but also got into a battle stance. Tsuna bit his lip as he watched them begin to circle each other slowly, sizing up their opponent. _What is Longchamp going to use to fight? I'm not sure he would stand a chance against adult Lambo…but then again…Lambo is still pretty weak. Not that I have any right to judge! I'm completely useless right now! Where is Reborn when I need him? I have to stop them before someone gets hurt!_

Just as Lambo charged at Longchamp with his crackling weapons, the glass of the window behind Longchamp shattered as a bullet entered the room. Tsuna gasped and Lambo came to an abrupt halt two feet away from the wounded red-head. Longchamp's mouth formed an 'O' as he collapsed to the ground with a bullet lodged in the back of his skull.

**Across the street from the school…**

Longchamp's subordinate Mangusta smirked and patted himself on the back for a job well done. He continued to watch the scene through the eyehole of his sniping rifle.

"Now Longchamp-kun can make his dream come true! He'll forgive me for disobeying him eventually! Well, I suppose it's time to make sure the reinforcements are keeping those pesky Vongola Guardians busy."

**Back with Tsuna…**

Longchamp suddenly sat up (without clothes except for his boxers thankfully) and stared up at Lambo and Tsuna. He sniffled pathetically and his eyes shone with tears. Tsuna felt a tug at his heart but he knew better than to give in to the effects of the Desolation Bullet. Longchamp tucked his knees under his chin and close to his chest and pouted. Tsuna sighed in both frustration and relief. _Typical…they always have to resort to that bullet! Doesn't he know by now that it doesn't work on me? I just hope it doesn't work on Lambo…_

He zoned back in to the present and felt his eyebrow twitch as he noticed Lambo crying along with Longchamp. They both sat huddled together wailing a chorus of: My life has no meaning! No one likes me! I'd be better off dead! Etcetera…

"Snap out of it you two!" Tsuna huffed.

Lambo immediately obeyed and stood up to join his leader. Tsuna felt his mouth go dry as he raised his gaze to meet the time-traveling teen's intense jade one. That rush of warmth he had felt earlier became an overwhelming blast of heated desire. _Just this once…just a little touch won't hurt right? Just a simple hug is fine right?_ His mind then went blank and his body moved without permission. He stepped forward and buried his face in Lambo's firm chest.

The tall curly-haired teen blushed as he quickly and happily returned the hug. Tsuna was too adorable to resist. If only he could stay with him in the past…but his time was almost up and he knew Reborn was waiting for him…with those darn handcuffs and whipped cream.

At that thought, there was a poof of smoke and Tsuna felt the older version of his friend leave his arms. He blushed as the realization of what he had just done hit him. _I am such a pervert! Bad Tsuna! Naughty thoughts!_ He felt a tug on his pants and looked down with a smile at the giggling 5 year old.

"Bwahaha! Lambo-san saved Baka-Tsuna! Lambo is better than Reborn!" the boy cackled cheerfully as he stood with his hands on his hips, completely oblivious to what his older self was currently doing with the aforementioned Mafia tutor.

Tsuna laughed and nodded. Lambo really did come in handy after all. But the chances of him being better than Reborn were extremely slim. He picked up Lambo and quickly left the room before Longchamp could regain his senses. As soon as he stepped out into the hallway, he caught a whiff of smoke and heard the distinct sounds of fighting (both physical and verbal). He was about to turn to face the direction he heard the sounds coming from when he heard the voices of Yamamoto, Ryohei, and Gokudera calling him.

"Juudaime! Behind you!"

"Tsuna, watch out!"

"Sawada!"

He pivoted around and gasped. Standing in front of him was a burly monster of a man in a black trench coat. He wielded a caveman-like club as his weapon and he was glaring menacingly at the smaller boy. Lambo continued to jabber mindlessly and Tsuna paled as he began to back away slowly from the dangerous man. There was chaos down the hall as his friends fought against a seemingly never-ending horde of thugs. Further down the hall were Hibari, Mukuro, and their respective subordinates, also in the heat of battle. He could tell that they were desperately trying to reach him but they were clearly outnumbered and overwhelmed.

"Sawada…you're coming with me," the giant rumbled as he reached to grab Tsuna's arm.

The brunette squeezed his eyes shut as he prepared to be manhandled and then kidnapped. He hated feeling so weak and helpless. _This isn't fair! I don't want to be No-Good Tsuna forever! But I really do need help! Someone please save me!_

He heard Gokudera shout in the distance, "Go now idiot!"

**BOOM!!!!** (AN: so lame… but you get the point)

The entire building shook and Tsuna's senses went haywire. There was ringing in his ears, smoke in his lungs causing him to cough and wheeze, and his eyes watered as his vision blurred. He could feel Lambo sobbing in his arms and he tried to stumble away, his eyes tightly shut, from the danger zone to protect the boy.

Suddenly, he felt Lambo being taken from his arms and he cried out, "Hey! Who's there? Give Lambo back! Lambo! Lambo where are you? LAMBO!"

He forced his stinging eyes back open and barely managed to make out a familiar female running away with the crying boy in her arms.

"Kyoko…chan?" Tsuna's hoarse voice whispered.

A whoosh of air behind him announced the swing of the weapon approaching. He jumped to the side instinctually to avoid being hit. He turned to face his attacker and his heart soared at the sight of a certain tall, carefree baseball player blocking the attack with his bat-sword hybrid.

"Yo Tsuna! You ok?" Yamamoto asked in his normal manner, but Tsuna could sense an underlying anger in his friend.

Tsuna sighed, feeling much more at ease with Yamamoto's presence, and replied, "Yes…I'm ok. Thank you Yamamoto."

The taller teen smiled warmly at him before turning back to the large man with fury in his eyes, "You weren't playing fair. I don't like it when people cheat during a game…especially when it involves hurting Tsuna."

There was a flash of light in Yamamoto's eyes and he quickly knocked the man out and to the ground a meter away. Tsuna gaped at him in awe. _Wow. Yamamoto really does manage to impress me every time. It's so cute how he still thinks this is a game, though it is a bit ridiculous. I hope he never stops smiling. _Tsuna's face turned red and his eyes grew wide. He was thinking that way about his friend again! This strange new condition was getting harder to handle. When would this attraction towards his friends stop?

"Tsuna? Are you really ok? Did he hurt you?" Yamamoto's concerned voice broke into his thoughts.

He looked up with a fake smile and said, "No…I'm fine. I'm just a bit freaked out by all of this. I don't understand why this is happening."

Yamamoto frowned and without hesitation pulled the small brunette into a comforting embrace. Tsuna blushed again but did not protest. For the second time that day, he practically melted into the Rain Guardian's arms and breathed in the soothing scent. _Oh no…I feel like I'm going to lose control again. He's just so warm and so kind…I want…want…something. What do I want? I…don't know. But maybe he can give it to me?_

Tsuna's eyes glazed over and he leaned his head back to stare into Yamamoto's confused and worried gaze. The baseball fanatic seemed to be able to read his mind as he smiled and chuckled lightly before leaning down to give his friend and soft kiss. Tsuna's heart began to race and that heat boiled up inside of him again. _Yamamoto! Why is he kissing me? I have to tell him to stop! If he doesn't stop…I don't know what I might do! _Just as Tsuna was struggling to force his arms to push Yamamoto away, he felt a slick tongue gently push past his closed lips and into his mouth. _Oh…well. Never mind._

**Meanwhile, with Kyoko outside of Namimori…**

She had sent Lambo on his way back to Tsuna's home and was now on her way to re-join her friend Hana. She had been devastated by what she had done but she now knew for sure that she had made the right decision. Tsuna-kun was a danger to everyone around him…and the only way to make it stop was if he was taken away. But she knew that Longchamp-kun was a decent person…a bit eccentric…but he had a good heart. Not too long ago, she had realized that she had fallen in love with Sawada Tsunayoshi…No-Good Tsuna…and she had decided that she would follow him to the ends of the earth if he wanted her to.

Until she got a reality check in the form of her brother's near-death experiences due to his connection to Tsuna. Her onii-san may not be the brightest guy in the world when it came to intelligence…but his smile and personality are brighter than the sun. She would do whatever it took to protect that, just like he got that scar while he protected her all those years ago. Tsuna lived a dangerous and violent life and as much as she cared for him…she loved her brother more.

"Kyoko," Ryohei's voice called to her, making her stop in her tracks.

She turned to face him, unable to hide the guilt and surprise in her face, "Onii-san! W-where d-did you come from?"

He stared at her silently, his face stern, before his body began to tremble. She could tell that he was upset and she wanted nothing more than to run over and comfort him, but she knew her brother well enough to be prepared for the outburst he was about to unleash.

Kyoko thought she had her brother all figured out…but he proved her wrong as the trembling stopped and instead of yelling at her or pounding his fist through a wall…he simply raised his gaze to meet hers.

His voice was shaky and the tears streamed down his face as he said quietly, "Why?"

She blinked in surprise before she sighed, "I did what I had to do…to protect you…to protect everyone. I'm not going to apologize for doing what I think is right…but I am sorry that you are upset."

Call it a delayed reaction, but Ryohei suddenly sprung back to life and roared with his eyes blazing in fury, "PROTECT ME? From who? From what? If you are telling me that you set up Sawada just to get him out of the way because you thought he was a danger to me…then you really aren't my sister."

Kyoko's jaw dropped and she could only shake her head in a vain attempt to defend herself, "No…please…what are you saying? Of course it's me! I'm your sister and I love you! Tsuna-kun isn't a bad person but bad things happen around him! You got hurt because of him! I'm just trying to look out for you!"

"Who the hell asked you to? I'm the big brother! It's my job to protect you!"

"Onii-san…"she tried to speak but he cut her off again.

"How dare you betray Sawada?! Did you know he loves you?! HUH?! DID YOU KNOW THAT HE'S IN LOVE WITH YOU?"

Kyoko's eyes widened and she gasped, "N-no…it can't be."

Ryohei's aura was dark and menacing as it surrounded him, "He is in love with you…and even though I love him…I was willing to step aside…for you. I was willing to let him go…because I love you. I love you both and I wanted you to be happy. BUT THAT'S OVER NOW. You have betrayed him…betrayed me! You make me sick!"

"Onii-san…what are you saying?" she whispered, fearing the answer would be her worst nightmare.

He seemed to lose all of his ever-present fire and energy as he simply replied, "You're dead to me Kyoko. I will never forgive you for what you've done."

"No…no…please. Don't do this!" she cried and begged and pleaded.

She then got on her knees before him and clung desperately to his legs, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please…don't leave me."

Ryohei Sasagawa stood in silence for a few more minutes, listening to his little sister, who he had cherished above all others, plead for forgiveness. He then took a deep breath and forcefully unhooked her grip on his legs. He walked a few steps away before he stopped and spoke to her without turning around.

"I loved my little sister Kyoko to the extreme. I would have given her the world. I would have done anything to keep her happy. But all dreams come to an end don't they?"

She did not respond as she watched with a heavy heart as he walked away.

"The only one left in my heart is Tsuna. I'm not going to let go of that dream…at least not without a fight. I will be his soul mate…to the EXTREME!" he stated with a determined flame burning in his chest.

**(Rubs back of head) I can honestly say that I loved this chapter! SO SO MUCH. :) It was action-packed and had fluff and angst and…naughty thoughts! LOL. I hope you guys loved it too! Please please please review. And please feel free to change those votes if you already voted. And if you haven't voted yet then please either do it now or wait until the near-end! (Hint hint) My best friend, who is also on this site, Lemony Goddess has been begging me to make her vote count as 10 people because she is not happy with the poll results so far. Why not be dears and help me out by choosing people other than Hibari? I mean…I have no problem with 1827 but she is sick to death of it. But if you really do love him then by all mean stick to your guns! Um…forgive me! I'm between a rock and a hard place ok? It's hard to please everyone isn't it? Again, hope you enjoyed and check my profile for the update schedule!**


	7. Gokudera enters the fray

**(crickets) Hi? I'm back! Yes, I know that I just posted the last chapter recently…but I was reading the reviews and I got so excited that now I had to continue! My friend is going to kill me for neglecting my other stories but I can't help myself! So far I have noticed that a surprisingly large amount of readers agree with my friend! Anyway, I'm still debating whether or not to follow the poll results or to just delete it and go with my personal opinion. **

**SO! About this chapter…I will be including bits of side couples here and there as I begin to pair people off! This is my way of slowly leading up to the top contenders for Tsuna's heart and a way to include my other favorite couples! Also, this chapter continues where I left off with Yamamoto and Tsuna's close encounter which will become even closer momentarily (giggle) and will follow the happenings with the other Guardians. Keep an eye out for those other couples and be prepared for another shocking twist involving my dear Ryohei! Hehehehe.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own KHR! Stop making me say it!**

**Warning: Lots and lots of smut! Kufufufu. Naughty Yamamoto ahead! So much lime…but not full out lemon! I'm not sure I want to travel into the Mature section just yet.**

**Guarding Tsuna Chapter 7**

Tsuna and Yamamoto found themselves in a very unusual position. Due to certain circumstances (a.k.a. Gokudera blowing up the hallway) the ceiling had collapsed, cutting them off from the others. When there kiss finally ended, which was too soon for Tsuna's tastes, they had attempted to find a way around the rubble, only to end up trapped in…what was left of a closet. Tsuna could appreciate the irony…really he could…but the panic was starting to take over due to his claustrophobia. _I feel like I can't breathe! Why did the rocks have to block us in here? We shouldn't have come this way in the first place! Why does this kind of stuff always happen to me?_

"Tsuna…don't worry we'll get out of here. I promise you, I'll take care of you ok?" Yamamoto told him as he hugged him gently.

Tsuna smiled, temporarily forgetting their situation, and said, "Thank you Yamamoto…you always make me feel safe."

He blushed as he realized what he had said and Yamamoto laughed and squeezed him tighter before letting go.

"Now…how do we get out of here? If I keep pushing at these rocks we might get out, but I don't want to cause more rocks to crash down on us. Well, this is quite tricky. The game always gets more difficult towards the end, but we can beat it!"

Tsuna's face turned pale. _He seriously thinks this is a game? What is wrong with him?! But then again, his optimism is one of his good traits. That, and his laugh, and his cute smile, and his warmth, and his sexy muscles, and his…wait…what? NANI? I need to stop thinking this way! If I'm not careful, I might end up molesting my friend!_

Yamamoto's forlorn sigh brought Tsuna back to reality and he squinted to see his friend through the dark, "What's wrong?"

"Um…I guess we're stuck here. But if we call out loud enough maybe the others will find us and come to our rescue!" Yamamoto explained with a strained laugh.

Tsuna mentally screamed and bit his lip as he said, "But what if we run out of air before then? We don't know how long they will take to find us! I…I don't know if I can take this!"

As tears slid down his face he was caught off guard when Yamamoto suddenly grabbed his shoulders and pulled him closer. Their lips met once again and Tsuna's mind immediately drifted away from his pervious sorrowful thoughts. _What was I saying? Ah, that doesn't matter now! He feels really good. I'm not sure I want to stop this._

They pulled apart for breath and Yamamoto whispered, lust filling his voice, "Tsuna…I'm going to help you take your mind off of this ok? Please don't hate me for what I'm about to do. You're just so cute and I really don't think I can hold back any longer."

Tsuna briefly considered the warning before he smiled and reached up to pull his friend back to his lips. The sparks flew between them and their ragged breaths filled the small space. Yamamoto placed one hand on Tsuna's lower back as he eased him against the wall while the other hand remained on the back of Tsuna's neck. As the kiss became more heated with tongues battling and sucking and lips attaching to necks, Yamamoto's hand on Tsuna's backside lowered until he reached Tsuna's thigh and he swiftly raised it to wrap Tsuna's leg around his hip. He then took his other hand and did the same with the other side, lifting Tsuna off of his feet and pressing his upper body against the wall.

Tsuna gasped and broke their kiss to moan, "Yamamoto, what are you doing?"

Yamamoto smiled and whispered seriously, "I'm going to make you feel good. Please let me?"

Tsuna nodded without hesitation and Yamamoto grinned before he rolled his hips up against Tsuna's, causing their groins to rub against each other. The friction sent more heat through Tsuna's body and he moaned as it began to pool in his nether regions. They developed a quick and fierce rhythm and were lost in the moment, moaning and writhing and panting. They were sweaty and quickly becoming exhausted as Tsuna clung desperately to Yamamoto's shoulders and enveloped his tall friend's lips in a needy kiss which silenced their passionate noises.

Just as they were a moment away from reaching their peak a sharp sound from outside of their enclosed space made them jump in surprise. Yamamoto carefully lowered his adorable friend to the ground, just in time too, as the rocks were suddenly smashed to pieces before them. The dust floated through the air, making them cough, but as the light entered the closet, a dark figure was revealed to them standing there.

He took one look at their sweaty and red-faced appearance and glared fiercely at Yamamoto as he spoke, "What the hell were you doing to Juudaime…you damn baseball idiot?!"

Tsuna gulped and Yamamoto laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his head. The couple who had just a few minutes ago been extremely active left their temporary prison and faced Gokudera in the hall. He took another look at his beloved boss and sighed before gesturing with his head for them to follow him. They silently obeyed and he led them through another opening in the wall a few feet away. Yamamoto raised an eyebrow and shrugged as he followed the bomber while Tsuna internally freaked out. _Gokudera-kun saw us! He knows what we were doing! He looks so angry! What should I do? I didn't mean to hurt him. And what is up with this random opening?_

Light finally hit his eyes and he squinted as they exited the strange "tunnel". He looked around his surroundings and balked at the fact that they had somehow ended up at the end of the other side of the hallway. There were bodies of the enemy goons strewn across the floor and Gokudera simply stepped on them (a bit harshly in Tsuna's opinion) while Yamamoto and Tsuna did their best to step over them into any empty spaces they could find.

"Ahaha…this is a bit…extreme don't you think Gokudera?" Yamamoto asked cautiously.

The gray-haired teen sharply turned his head to glare back at him and growled, "They deserved it for trying to take Juudaime! And don't try to change the subject!"

Yamamoto and Tsuna's eyes widened and they once again reverted to silence as they continued to follow Gokudera's angry steps. He finally came to a halt in front of the opening to the classroom Tsuna's class used. _Why are we here? School ended didn't it? Shouldn't we go home? _

Gokudera slid the door open and practically stomped into the room. Tsuna and Yamamoto exchanged a nervous glance before entering as well. Tsuna felt a trickle of fear take hold of him as he noticed the presence of Reborn and Longchamp who seemed to have just stopped their conversation as he walked into the room.

Reborn stared at him with a glint in his eyes as he said, "It's about time you showed up. You were careless and almost got yourself killed. If it wasn't for Yamamoto and Gokudera, you would have been in serious trouble."

Tsuna nodded faintly before his gaze traveled over to Longchamp, who seemed to have re-dressed and had multiple bruises and a black eye, "What happened?"

Gokudera answered with a glare at the Mafia leader and the cracking of his knuckles, "He met with an unfortunate accident."

Tsuna's eyes widened and he mentally eeped. _Gokudera-kun must have been furious. He seems really scary right now…almost as bad as Hibari-san. Speaking of Hibari-san…where is he…and the others?_

Reborn, as usual, seemed to have read his mind and explained, "They are out searching for you. After they disposed of the trash…" Tsuna paled as he realized he was talking about Longchamp's men, "they immediately ran off to find you. They were quite worried. Their loyalty to you is remarkable…but you have not done anything to warrant it today."

Tsuna bit his lip and fidgeted. _Why does he always have to put it so harshly? I already know that I was useless and pathetic!_

Surprisingly, it was Longchamp who came to his defense, "Sawada-chan has earned everyone's trust many times! We would do anything to protect him…and he's so cute! Of course we want to make him happy…and we'd all like to keep him to ourselves."

Reborn scoffed and Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Tsuna blushed.

Tsuna's eyes lit up as he remembered the question which had been nagging at the back of his mind for quite some time, "Reborn…was this all a test?"

Reborn smirked, quite proud of Tsuna's ability to instinctively figure it out, "Yes…I am glad you noticed. Longchamp was asked to step in and pretend to attempt to kidnap you so that your Guardians would step up. If they want to be your soul mate, they need to be ready for anything."

Tsuna frowned and Gokudera and Yamamoto's eyes widened. They had no idea this was going on!

"Reborn-san…are you serious? This was all…fake?" Gokudera faintly asked with his eyebrow twitching.

The infant Mafioso nodded and Yamamoto added, "But we were so convinced Tsuna was in danger. It seemed so real."

Reborn's eyes narrowed and he said, "That brings me to my next topic…Tsuna is really in danger. More so than usual. This is why the Vongola Rings are active and why I had to prepare this test. The dream Ryohei spoke of was a hint of things to come. I'm not sure why he was the only one to receive the warning, but this means he is also vulnerable at the moment. If the enemy finds out that we know what is going on…they may attempt to take him out."

Tsuna gasped and stared in horror at his tutor, "What dream? Onii-san is in danger? I'm so confused! What's going on?"

Yamamoto and Gokudera's faces were grave and Longchamp replied in a mature manner, "Sasagawa-kun had a premonition of sorts…and in it…you were killed. The culprit's face was hidden in shadows and it happened right outside of the school during the daytime. I believe this has affected your Sun Guardian deeply. I would advice you and your friends to keep an eye on him."

Tsuna nodded and sighed, "This is serious. Not only am I in danger…but Onii-san is too. What should we do?"

Reborn responded, "We train…and further prepare ourselves. Of course, the competition to win your heart will continue as well."

The tense atmosphere lightened as Tsuna exclaimed, "Reborn! What are you saying? There's no time for that kind of stuff! It's ridiculous!"

Reborn quickly jumped and kicked his student in the head and Tsuna yelped. Yamamoto laughed and Gokudera smiled faintly. But in his mind, he was still trying to figure out what he should do about the scene he had walked in on earlier. His precious Juudaime had been kissing that idiot…and had seemed to be engaged in other…pleasurable…activites as well. He was furious at the idiot and hurt by his boss's strong feelings for him, but he was mostly angry at himself. How could he not see what was going to happen? He had told the baseball player to go save their leader as he blew up the hallway, but he had not realized the length he would go to in order to claim Tsuna before everyone else.

He narrowed his eyes as he developed a plan to snare his boss's attention. Sure, he would train and do his best to protect Juudaime…but he would also make sure to win his true love's heart. But…what about that dumb Lawn-head? He was in danger as well, and although he would never admit it out loud, he cared for his well-being also. He would have to keep an eye on the boxer as well. He sighed and Yamamoto gave him questioning glance which he returned with a fierce glare.

"Perverted bastard…" he hissed.

The baseball player's cheeks reddened and he quickly returned his attention to the deep conversation between Reborn and Tsuna. Gokudera internally was pleased with the curiosity Yamamoto had just displayed. Perhaps he could use that to his advantage…

**So, I apologize for drifing away from my previous plans which I had mentioned to a certain reviewer but I will bring those to play soon! Yay! I had hot smut and Gokudera coming up to bat. LOL. His plan…shall be quite interesting. Poor Yamamoto and Tsuna…and what about Ryohei?**

**Next time: What Mukuro, Ken, Chikusa, and Hibari have been up to. Gokudera also begins to put his plan into action. **


	8. Changes in the forecast

**Thank you guys so much for reviewing and voting and reading. Without you, this story would have fallen apart long ago. Guess what? There are more side pairings hinted and introduced here. Tell me what you think!**

**Please read the long as heck Author's note at the bottom!**

**Guarding Tsuna chapter 8**

"I cannot believe this! This is your precious school. You are the Hibari Kyouya…you are supposed to know this school better than the back of your hand! How hard can it be to find one cute and vulnerable boy?" Mukuro fumed as they came to a stop outside of another empty classroom.

Hibari sent the illusionist a piercing glare but internally had to agree. Finding the herbivore should have been easy. Perhaps he was losing his touch? No, that was not possible. But Hibari was certain that he was just distracted…by the aforementioned pineapple. It was that smirking demon's fault! He gripped his tonfas tighter and gritted his teeth as he forced himself not to tear Mukuro apart.

"Shut up. You are too noisy and you are distracting me. Why didn't you go with those other Kokuyo bastards? You must have a death wish. Go away or I will bite you to death," Hibari growled.

Mukuro pouted and said, "But Kyouya-kun…I just couldn't bear to leave you on your own! Besides…my time is running out and I would rather leave my dear Nagi with you than those two disgusting lovebirds. They just make her feel uncomfortable around them."

Hibari raised his eyebrow in a silent question. Innuendo really wasn't his forte.

Mukuro saw this reaction and grinned, "Kufufufu…so naïve Kyouya-kun! Shall I explain further? Ken and Chikusa are lovers…and they are most likely screwing the daylights out of each other somewhere in your precious school right now."

Hibari's cheeks turned slightly pink and he focused his hawk eyes on a blank spot at the end of the hallway while continuing his search down the hall at a brisk pace. Mukuro skipped along, making sure to keep up with the upset prefect, and laughed again.

"Shut up or I will bite you to death right now," Hibari stated heatedly and coming to an abrupt halt before turning to face the smirking pineapple.

"You know, you always say that but you haven't succeeded so far. I'm starting to think you aren't trying hard enough…probably because you love me too much to really hurt me."

Hibari's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Yes. The Hibari Kyouya, sadistic and dangerous leader of Namimori's Discipline Committee, actually dropped his jaw and stared dumbfounded at the insane illusionist. There was no reasoning with the maniac! He made no sense at all! Hibari wanted to strangle him, bite him to death, take some of that loud idiot Gokudera Hayato's dynamite to blow him to bits, and then dance on his grave. Yes, that seemed quite satisfactory.

He opened his mouth to tell Mukuro of his plan, which he fully intended to carry out (consequences be damned), when suddenly the illusionist wobbled before collapsing onto Hibari. He instinctively caught his enemy and was about to yell at him and push him away when he realized the blue-haired teen was completely limp.

He shook Mukuro, while vehemently denying the growing feeling in his stomach was actually concern, and shouted, "What is this? Wake up you crazy herbivore! Get off of me before I throw you off. HEY! MOVE!"

Mukuro did not respond and instead, his head rested heavily on Hibari's shoulder. The black-haired prefect stiffened as he felt Mukuro's warm breath on his neck and resisted the need to shiver. There was no way he was enjoying this! Well, having his enemy completely at his mercy was a surprise, but this could work to his benefit. But, a voice was telling him not to take advantage while Mukuro was helpless. He sighed, internally cursing the voice of Tsunayoshi acting as his conscience, and lifted the unconscious Mist Guardian into his arms.

He surprised by how light the other was, but he vaguely recalled the poor living conditions he had heard from his spy which the Kokuyo gang were currently dealing with. Mukuro and his followers must be half-starved. Hibari fiercely stomped out the flicker of pity and guilt which had tried to take life in his heart. He carried Mukuro (bridal style) into the Sick bay. Glancing around, he quickly discerned the lack of Dr. Shamal's presence and he scoffed at the man's incompetence.

He gently laid Mukuro down onto one of the beds despite the urge to simply drop him onto the floor. Hibari sighed and stared at the illusionist. Completely without his knowledge or permission, his hand reached out to push back a stray blue hair on Mukuro's forhead. He mentally chided himself for indulging in such a disgusting action which could be mistaken for a loving gesture but frowned as he noticed the intense heat emanating from Mukuro's skin.

He hissed and ripped his hand away when he felt the forehead again. It was hot…too hot to be normal. Quickly, the prefect scanned the room, and finding the thermometer, lunged for it before returning to Mukuro and sticking it in the teen's mouth. He tapped his foot impatiently as he waited and glared at Mukuro's salmon lips. They were seductively beckoning to him with their slight movement as their owner breathed heavily. Damn that freak and his ability to get words trapped in the mind of others! Hibari's brain buzzed as it bounced Mukuro's playful remarks around constantly.

Hibari growled and forced the thoughts to the back of his mind. He leaned down and yanked the thermometer out. The mercury had risen to the tip and he paled as he glanced down to the sweaty and clearly distressed teen. Mukuro panted and moaned in agony but HIbari's ears twitched as his groin registered the sounds in a more…inappropriate…way. He blushed heavily and willed his stubborn erection away. He was Hibari Kyouya…and he did not get sexually aroused by psychotic illusionists who had a penchant for making his life a living hell!

But as Mukuro's tempting lips parted and moaned, "Nn…Ky…ou…ya," Hibari realized that he could not deny the truth any longer.

The winds of change were blowing and he could sense the mist clouding his vision was not leaving anytime soon.

**Meanwhile, with Ken and Chikusa…**

"Ken. We shouldn't be doing this. Mukuro needs our help to find…mmph!" Ken tried to stop his lover but Ken silenced him with a fierce kiss.

They separated after a long battle of the tongues and Ken grinned, "Kakii-pi…you talk too much. It's funny because it usually takes a lot to get you to say more than two words!"

Chikusa glared half-heartedly at the shape-shifter and said coldly, "That's ironic coming from someone who talks way too much, and always says the first thing on his mind."

Ken growled, his fangs showing and with a glint in his eyes, said, "That's not very nice Kakii-pi…looks like I'm going to have to teach you a lesson. So, which one do you want: wolf or lion?"

Chikusa sighed and pushed up his glasses, "Fine…but when Mukuro asks what we were doing, I will tell him the truth and make sure he knows you are to blame."

Ken grinned and pulled out one of his sets of teeth as he practically purred, "Whatever you say."

**Now, with Gokudera…**

Gokudera wasted no time putting the plan into action. Reborn-san and Longchamp had left to do something in preparation for the upcoming war with the unknown enemy. Catching everyone off guard, Gokudera had for once not complained about being ordered to stay behind with Yamamoto to help clean up the mess they made in the halls. Inside, he was torn between disobeying Reborn by following them due to his need to protect his beloved boss, or staying with the perverted idiot to start Phase One. However, sacrifices had to be made if he was to come out on top in the end. _Hold on Juudaime! I will save you from these unworthy idiots and I will protect you from this looming danger! But to do so…I will have to betray you. Please forgive me!_

"Yo…Gokudera…are you ok?" Yamamoto asked him.

The bomber almost turned and yelled at him per usual, but remembered he had to follow the plan, so he slowly met the baseball player's concern-filled eyes and sighed, "Yeah. Don't worry about it. Let's just get this over with."

Yamamoto's mouth opened before his words seemed to die in his throat. He blushed and nodded and returned to his task of wiping the blood off of the windows and walls. Gokudera held back the smirk which threatened to escape and proceeded to his next action. He slowly bent over, making sure to stick his butt up in the air in what he hoped was a sexy move, and reached down to pick up some large pieces of glass.

"OUCH! DAMMIT!" he bellowed as he made sure to cut the tip of his index finger on the sharpest edge of the glass.

Yamamoto dropped whatever he was doing and rushed over to Gokudera's side and asked, "What's wrong? Did you hurt yourself?"

Keeping in character, Gokudera pouted cutely at the taller male and nodded. Yamamoto's eyes seemed to grow hazy as he stared at him. It was so strange to see Gokudera acting...cute…like Tsuna. Yamamoto shifted his weight and raised a quivering hand to hold Gokudera's. He anxiously peered down at the deep wound which oozed a dark spot of blood and frowned. Gokudera performed a victory jig in his mind as he observed the Rain Guardian's uneasiness.

"You must have stabbed yourself with the glass. Does it hurt still? Should we rinse off the blood before covering it with a band-aid?" the gentle giant pondered quietly.

Gokudera shook his head and faked a wince as Yamamoto applied pressure on the opening with one of the clean rags he had been planning on using.

"Sorry, sorry…I just thought it would help stop the bleeding," he apologized with a warm smile.

Gokudera fought down the blush stubbornly. _This blush is not part of the plan! Why the hell am I letting him get to me? I am supposed to be the one doing the seducing!_

_Damn baseball idiot…why does he have to smile so…kindly? _

"It's ok. I'll go rinse it out and come right back. You keep cleaning," he muttered and pulled away.

Yamamoto blinked before he laughed cheerfully, "Ahaha…ok then! I'm glad you're all right."

Gokudera blushed brightly, this time not even attempting to fight it, but he figured it would help his cause anyway. He turned and practically ran away until he decided to put the last nail in the coffin and stopped to face Yamamoto again. The baseball player raised an eyebrow in surprise and Gokudera made nearly bit his tongue. _I can't believe I am about to say this! Ah…but Juudaime is worth it!_

"Um…arigatou…Takeshi," he said shyly and hid his eyes beneath his bangs as he stared down at the floor.

Yamamoto's heart pounded ferociously in his chest and his eyes shone. Gokudera had not only thanked him (which was scary enough) but he had also called him by his first name! Not even Tsuna said it. And to say it in such an adorable manner…well…let's just say the excitement he had felt earlier during his rendezvous with Tsuna in the closet had returned. Could he be falling for Gokudera…just like he had for Tsuna? Was it even possible to love two people at once…without betraying them?

Gokudera spun on his heel and scurried off to the bathroom. As he stood absentmindedly washing his cut out in the sink, he had to bite his lip to hold back from screaming. Tears of guilt and frustration escaped from his eyes. _What am I doing? This was just supposed to get that damn baseball idiot away from Juudaime! How did a few flirtatious touches and glances lead to this…this…infatuation? It's disgusting…and I'm to blame. I am a terrible person and I don't deserve to be forgiven…and I don't deserve to have Juudaime's love._

He gave into his depression and sunk to the floor on his knees, sobbing. The storm had come…mixed with acid rain…and wasn't leaving anytime soon.

**Shocking wasn't it? (Evil laugh) Oh! By the way, Longchamp has been deleted from the poll because he was in last place (sorry buddy) and I did say I would begin eliminating the weaker candidates didn't I? However, he really did appreciate those votes from the 6 people who were kind enough to cheer him on! Those 6 votes will be spread evenly throughout the remaining rivals with one being given to a person of my choice. Why? Because I can. Not that one vote extra would make much of a difference…but hey…I gotta help my guy out you know? So yes, I am also counting the votes in the reviews and when I reveal the results of the poll make sure to remember that the winner projected is not necessarily the overall receiver of the majority of the votes. **

**Next time: Gokudera reluctantly continues the plan but starts to question his reasoning, Hibari finds out something is seriously wrong with Mukuro and actually cares (gasp!), Ryohei finds himself in big trouble, and…the enemy is revealed! Look forward to it and please review! **


	9. The Imposter

**Well, I was very surprised by how the last chapter came out (once again I have strayed from my original plans) but I think it turned out so much better when written in the moment. I appreciate the feedback so please continue reading and I hope you enjoy!**

**HUGE shocker(s) in this chapter! I officially call this my favorite one so far and you shall see why. My favorite guy gets more spot light and the enemy is revealed! Please forgive me if you do not like OC's and there is OOC-ness…but you guys noticed that already right? Things are getting serious to the EXTREME!**

**Guarding Tsuna Chapter 9**

**Back with Tsuna…**

He reluctantly followed Reborn's orders and trudged grumpily to retrieve his outside shoes from his locker. _Considering how dangerous our situation is…he thinks it's ok to send me (alone!) to get my shoes? What is going through that deranged mind of his?_ Tsuna opened his locker and stood on his tip-toes to reach in and grab his shoes. Just as he shut the door he saw a figure move behind him out of the corner of his eye. Shivers ran down his spine and he pivoted sharply on his heel to face the looming individual.

"Onii-san!" he sighed in relief and smiled warmly at his friend.

"Sawada-kun…" Ryohei acknowledged with a short nod and stared blankly at him.

Tsuna's joy faded away as he felt a nagging suspicion in the back of his mind, but he pushed it aside and shakily responded, "Y-you scared me! Reborn sent me to get my shoes so that I could go look for all of you. I'm glad I found you, but Mukuro and Hibari-san are still missing. I know everyone was searching for me and you were probably worried. Gomen."

Ryohei nodded again and mumbled, "Sorry for scaring you Sawada-kun. Maybe we should let everyone else look for them. Why don't I take you home now? You seem extremely tired."

Tsuna frowned as the burning sensation of suspicion at the back of his neck increase. _Something is wrong here…he's not acting like himself. And since when does he call me Sawada-kun?_

"Ano…onii-san? Is something wrong?" he asked as he cautiously backed away.

Ryohei's eyes narrowed and he suddenly lunged forward and pinned Tsuna against the lockers.

"Eep! Onii-san, what are you doing?" he cried, the suspicion turning into panic.

He stared into Ryohei's abnormally cold eyes as the boxer stated in monotone, "Don't worry Sawada-kun…you're safe with me. Now let's go."

He pulled Tsuna away from the lockers and held tightly onto one of the smaller boy's arms as he dragged him towards the front doors of the school. Tsuna suddenly snapped out of his shock and firmly planted his feet on the ground and yanked his arm out Ryoehi's grasp. The boxer turned to him with an annoyed glare which met with Tsuna's furious amber eyes.

"You are not Onii-san! Who are you and what have you done with him?" Tsuna demanded as he stealthily slipped his hand into his pocket and grabbed his Dying Will Pills and X-gloves.

_Thank goodness Reborn gave me these before he sent me down here! But I get the feelings he knew this would happen…_

"So you figured it out eh? That's too bad. I was sure this would go smoother if you believed I was your Sun Guardian. Now I'm going to have to take you by force," the Ryohei-imposter said with a shrug of his shoulders as he stepped closer to his prey.

Tsuna's glare intensified and he popped one of the pills in his mouth. The fraud's eyes widened as Tsuna transformed into his Hyper Dying Will form. The large flame blossomed above his forehead and his amber eyes glazed over. He put on his gloves, which burst into flames, and got into a battle-stance.

"You will tell me where Onii-san is…whether you want to or not. I will not tolerate anyone hurting my friends."

The imposter's bored countenance vanished as he grinned, an expression eerily similar to Ryohei's, and put up his fists.

"Come on then Vongola…show me why everyone is so interested in you."

Tsuna jumped up high in the air and then came down at the fraud with his flaming fist. The man dodged and his punch hit the floor, forming a crater and causing the building to shake for the second time that day. Tsuna stood up straight and stared at his enemy who was practically beaming with amusement. _Hibari-san is going to kill me for destroying the school…but I'm worried about Onii-san and it's up to me to save him._

**With Gokudera and Yamamoto…**

Gokudera had returned from the washroom ten minutes later, after making sure his face was devoid of any sign he had been crying, and returned to his task of sweeping up the rubble and glass. Yamamoto kept sending him curious glances but Gokudera firmly ignored them. _I know I have to do this…but I really don't want to now. He's actually a decent guy and messing with someone's feelings is wrong. This isn't like me…it's almost as if I'm not in control of my actions anymore. I wonder if this is another effect of the rings. _

"Gokudera…um…about earlier…why did you call me by my first name?" Yamamoto broke the silence hesitantly.

Gokudera sighed and dropped his broom before he turned to face the taller teen, "You really don't know? I guess I'm going to have to show you."

Pushing away any remaining sensible thoughts, Gokudera then swiftly stepped closer to the confused Rain Guardian and reached up to pull his head down. Their lips were mere centimeters apart and Gokudera's heart pounded furiously as he felt Yamamoto's warm breath mix with his in the space between, but they simultaneously jumped apart.

"We can't because-

"I'm sorry because-

"I love Tsuna!"

"I love Juudaime!"

Their shocked eyes met and they blushed. It was Yamamoto who ended the awkward moment by laughing so hard his sides hurt. Gokudera only frowned and folded his arms over his chest.

"What's so funny you damn baseball idiot?" he fumed, his pride a bit damaged by being laughed at.

"I-I-I'm sorry…it's just…just…so weird!" Yamamoto tried to apologize through his laughs.

Gokudera raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about?"

Yamamoto straightened up and took a few deep breaths as he calmed down before he continued, "I mean, you actually tried to seduce me even though you're in love with Tsuna. What gives?"

Gokudera's face burned and he looked down at his feet as he confessed, "I'm not sure why I did it. I know it was wrong and I didn't mean to hurt you Juudaime, but when I saw you two together like…that…something snapped inside of me. I've never felt this way before! All I know is that I was so angry and hurt and I wanted you to stay away from him because if I had to see the two of you happy and in love for the rest of our lives…I'm not sure I would be able to handle it. I'm sorry…and I understand if you hate me."

Yamamoto observed him quietly for a few minutes, making Gokudera quite nervous and irritated, until he seemed to reach a conclusion as his face lit up, "Don't worry buddy! I don't hate you! It's not your fault you went mad with jealousy. I'm sure I would have done something pretty wild if I was in your position. But cheating in a game isn't cool… so don't do it anymore ok?"

Gokudera blinked, too stunned to feel aggravated by the other teen's idiocy. _Is everything really a game to him? Why do I consider him my rival?_

Yamamoto suddenly became serious as he said, "However, if you ever make the mistake of questioning my love for Tsuna again or trying to make it seem weak…then I promise you… I will make sure you are no longer a player on my team. I don't like sore losers and I don't like those who hurt others just to help themselves. You got that?"

Gokudera's face paled and he resisted the urge to light up a cigarette. _Wow…he can be pretty scary for an idiot. He should be like this more often. It's kind of sexy. I mean…wait…not that I like him that way! I love Juudaime. Only Juudaime. _

The bomber caught the baseball player off guard when he smirked and gruffly responded, "Yeah…I got it. You know, I think you just proved why you are my rival. I'd rather see Juudaime with you than those other crazy bastards. Hibari and that devil are too dangerous and Lawn Head is too hyper and obsessed with boxing. At least you have moments of normalcy."

Yamamoto laughed and threw an arm around Gokudera's shoulder, "I'm so happy you consider me to be your rival! Let's both try our best ok?"

Gokudera tensed under the close-contact and growled, "Yeah yeah…whatever…just get your hands off me!"

Yamamoto laughed again and Gokudera sighed, but mentally he felt the storm finally lifting.

"Hey! Which way to the doctor's office?" Ken's annoyed but hurried voice called to them as Mukuro's fellow escapees appeared.

Gokudera glared at the animal shape-shifting teen and the freaky yo-yo guy with glasses as he snarled, "Why the hell do you need to know? Where have you been and where are the others?"

Ken growled and was about to go off on the Storm Guardian when Chikusa put a firm hand on his shoulder and quickly cut in, "Mukuro-san sent us a message which told us to hurry to the sick bay. I think you should come with us."

Yamamoto and Gokudera nodded and led them to the sick bay. _Has something happened to Juudaime?_

**Again, with Tsuna…**

The fight had been going on for about twenty minutes and Tsuna was losing energy. The man had not shown any further abilities but he seemed to have gained Ryohei's strength, speed, and stamina. Tsuna had been knocked to the ground by a rather vicious punch but had managed to kick the imposter in the stomach on his way down. Tsuna took this opportunity and tried to get up, but the Ryohei-imposter was instantly standing in front of him. Lifting his legs quickly, he kicked Tsuna in his chest.

"Fool," he whispered, as he watched Tsuna fly into the wall.

Tsuna covered his mouth, as he coughed up blood. The fraud ran forward, and went for a punch, which Tsuna caught with his hand and then punched him in the face. The imposter flew into the wall in front of Tsuna. Silence filled the air as dust arose from the impact. The flames went out and Tsuna took a deep breath. According to his intuition, this fight was over.

Exhausted but still determined, Tsuna shakily made his way over to where the body of his friend lied and ordered, "Now…tell me where he is."

A tired laugh reached his ears as the person sat up and smirked at him, sending shivers down Tsuna's spine, "Your precious Sun Guardian has been here all along. I think you just broke one of his ribs by the way."

Tsuna's eyes widened in horror as the man he had been fighting while under the assumption he had been producing Ryohei's image through an illusion, seemed to disappear. A dark cloud lifted out of Ryohei's body and Tsuna could hear an eerie laugh coming from it as it flew away. He watched as Ryohei's body went into a fit of spasms before calming down.

"Sa-wa-da…" the boxer's voice weakly called for him.

Tsuna felt tears drip out of his eyes as he got to his knees and held his senpai in his arms, "Onii-san? Is that really you?"

"H-hai…gomen Sawada…I tried to stop him…Kyoko…he said terrible things…I'm so sorry," Ryohei choked out in between sobs.

Tsuna's eyes narrowed and he asked, "How long as he been in your body?"

Ryohei fought down his tears and replied, "The last thing I remember doing as me was fighting those extreme guys in black. Then, all of a sudden I thought I heard Kyoko crying and I remember the dream…and I ran after the sound. I think I ended up outside but then as soon as I saw her, everything went black. It was EXTREMELY bad…the way he treated her. She thinks I hate her! She didn't mean to hurt anyone Sawada! She was just trying to protect me! Please don't blame her!"

Tsuna nodded and leaned down to hug the frantic boxer. _I've never seen him like this. I'm usually the one who falls apart and has to rely on others for support…it's kind of nice to feel needed for once. Is it ok if I comfort him? Would he mind if I…?_

Ryohei sniffled and sent Tsuna a questioning glance as he felt the cute brunette pull away from their embrace, "Sawada…what?"

Tsuna quickly covered Ryohei's mouth with his and lavished the boxer's lips with gentle nips and licks until he opened them to gasp. Ryohei's eyes widened as Tsuna's eager tongue plunged into his depths. He got over his shock quickly and shut his eyes as his tongue began an extremely hot and passionate dance with Tsuna's. _Onii-san's kiss is so different from the others. Hibari's kiss was strong and fierce and made me feel completely dominated but also smothered, Yamamoto's kiss was calming and gentle enough to make me forget about everything else, but Onii-san's kiss…is… a combination of warm and loving with hot and passionate. It is…for the lack of a better word…EXTREME. _

Tsuna giggled into their kiss and Ryohei pulled away. They sat gasping for breath and gazing into each other's eyes for a few minutes until Ryohei's face cracked into a huge smile.

"That was EXTREME! I would love it TO THE MAX if I could do that with you all the time," he roared with his eyes ignited in excited flames.

Tsuna smiled lovingly at his overzealous Sun Guardian and said, "I would like that too. I'm glad you're back Onii-san."

Ryohei came down from his high and smiled warmly back at Tsuna as he agreed, "Yeah…I'm happy to be back too."

"So sorry to interrupt this touching moment…but you have something which belongs to me and I am here to collect. Well…two people to be exact…and one of them is sitting with you right now."

Ryohei and Tsuna gasped and turned to look at the person standing in the doorway of the school with a cocky grin on his face. Ryohei's face paled and his shaky hand grabbed Tsuna's and tugged him closer. Tsuna frowned and glanced at his friend, puzzled and concerned, before he returned his attention to the stranger.

"Who are you?" Tsuna asked, the strong feeling of anxiety and suspicion in his neck going haywire as his intuition told him that this person was dangerous.

**Meanwhile, with Hibari and Mukuro…**

"Wake up! What's wrong with you? Wake up now or I'll bite you to death!" Hibari yelled as he shook Mukuro's trembling shoulders.

Mukuro remained trapped in an unconscious state as his body twitched, sweated, and trembled while fighting off a high fever. Hibari had tried everything he could think of to help lower the temperature but it stubbornly refused to decrease. It had been thirty-five minutes since the illusionist had collapsed in his arms and his frustration at being unable to control the situation was taking its toll on the black-haired prefect.

"Just…open your eyes…say something…anything. You can even laugh and say something stupid and perverted…I don't care…just WAKE UP!" Hibari hissed as he threw his sanity out of the window and pressed his lips down on the pineapple's soft peach ones.

"Mukuro-san…oh…" Chikusa said as he and the others burst into the room.

"Yo Mukuro! What's the-?" Ken's voice died in his throat.

"What's going on? Where's Juu-?" Gokudera did the same.

Yamamoto simply stared at the scene with his jaw dropped. All four intruders blushed as Hibari stood up straight and glared at them. They could feel the temperature in the room drop to below freezing as the furious Cloud Guardian whipped out his tonfas and slowly stepped closer to them.

"Noisy herbivores who stick their noses into other people's business deserve to be eliminated. Prepare to be bitten to death," the sadist said calmly, while internally he was glad he had been able to fight off the embarrassing blush they would have easily noticed.

"Kufufu…now now Kyouya…they're not going to tell anyone what they saw. How about you let them off the hook for now and come over here to continue where you left off?" Mukuro's smooth voice cut into the moment.

Hibari stopped abruptly and whirled around to glare at the previously comatose blue-haired menace. Mukuro still appeared a little worse for wear but the presence of his infamous leering smile gave Hibari a sense of relief. The damn pineapple would live…for now.

"Rokudo Mukuro…do not make the mistake of seeing that disgusting act of…momentary insanity…as anything more. I still hate you and I will bite you to death," Hibari stated as coldly and firmly as he could.

Mukuro's smirk grew into a cheerful grin, "Kufufufu…I'll let you live in denial for a little while longer Kyouya-kun! Now…we have a big problem on our hands. Is everyone here?"

The others, who were still frozen in fear, disgust, and/or shock, now came back to life and entered the room fully. Glancing around, Mukuro frowned and opened his mouth to ask about Tsuna when Reborn finally made his appearance.

"Tsuna is with Ryohei at the moment. We have to discuss things here quickly right now before we go to them. Mukuro, you were just trapped in a forced sleep correct?" Reborn said.

Mukuro nodded and Reborn continued, "Please tell us what you saw while you were in there."

Mukuro clenched his teeth and his dual-colored eyes darkened. Hibari watched him and his grip on his tonfas tightened as he felt a strange sense of foreboding wash over him.

"It was the same dream he had before. The only difference was that I was also there as an observer unable to move. I saw Tsunayoshi die and all of you surrounded him, excluding Sasagawa Ryohei. But when the murderer appeared in the shadows, I could see his face clearly. I then heard his voice directed straight at me…and I knew it was him."

Reborn frowned and prodded, "Who is he?"

Mukuro caught everyone off guard as he shivered and wrapped his arms around himself protectively, almost like a child afraid of the dark, as he whispered, "My brother…"

A collective gasp filled the room and Reborn nodded as if his suspicion had been confirmed. Mukuro's brother had fallen off the face of the earth years ago and his re-appearance in Mukuro's dream was no coincidence.

"Tsuna and Ryohei are in danger. We have to go to them now. You are the only one who may be able to stop him Mukuro…will you do it…for Tsuna?"

Mukuro stared at the infant blankly for a few seconds. It was a few seconds too long for Hibari, who scoffed and moved to forcefully pull the illusionist to his feet.

"You say you love Tsunayoshi…now is your time to prove it. Get your act together and stop acting like some weak herbivore," he declared firmly.

Mukuro gaped at him before he smiled weakly and laughed. The two sadists exchanged a meanginful glance before Hibari rolled his eyes and grabbed the pineapple's hand. He dragged Mukuro to the door, the others clearing the way for them immediately, and Reborn smirked as he followed. The Cloud and the Mist seemed to have formed a strange bond and he wondered how this would affect the battle for the Sky.

**Now, with Tsuna and Ryohei…**

"Who are you?" Tsuna asked, dreading the answer.

The stranger made him jump as he burst into laughter. Tsuna's face paled and he felt his heart race. _I know that laugh! It sounds just like…_

"Dearest Tsunayoshi…I am truly sorry it has taken so long for us to meet. My name is Rokudo Kira...Rokudo Mukuro is my brother."

**HEHEHE! I loved this! Yes I did! I hope you did too! Please review! My second OC ever! I had planned to use him in a different story but he ended up as the big bad guy here! Wow. LOL. I got a wonderful fluff moment for my beloved yay! And Mukuro-sama is stepping into the light as well. **

**Next time: Kira's connections to Mukuro and Ryohei are revealed and he makes a deal with Reborn which surprises everyone, Tsuna has a heart-to-heart with Mukuro (while a confused and jealous Hibari listens), Yamamoto tries to console the devastated Ryohei, and Gokudera has a secret meeting with a former rival!**


	10. The Deal

**Umm…hey there? (twitch and sweatdrops) It's been quite a while eh? I've been busy writing for every story except for this one! LOL. I suck. Big time. Anyway…I really am considering deleting the poll I have right now and putting up a new version. I put it up so early that you guys didn't get the chance to read my interpretation of Tsuna's connection to his Guardians. So, what do you think? New version or just leave it? Please let me know! Also, I hope you like my OC! I plan on posting another chapter soon after this to make up for my long absence! Please enjoy! As usual…forgive all OOC-ness! **

**Guarding Tsuna: chapter 10- The Deal**

**With Tsuna and Ryohei…**

"Who are you?" Tsuna asked, dreading the answer.

The stranger made him jump as he burst into laughter. Tsuna's face paled and he felt his heart race. _I know that laugh! It sounds just like…_

"Dearest Tsunayoshi…I am truly sorry it has taken so long for us to meet. My name is Rokudo Kira…Rokuda Mukuro is my brother."

To say that Tsuna was shocked would be a huge understatement. He felt his body tremble and his blood run cold. _I never knew Mukuro had a brother! But the resemblance is uncanny…_

The man before him had dark red hair spiked in a spiral-shaped ponytail, reminding Tsuna of a peacock. He had two sparkling blue eyes and appeared to be the same height as Mukuro…perhaps a bit taller. His skin tone was an almost sickly white and he wore what Tsuna deemed to be a designer blue suit. Yes, he was very similar to Mukuro, but Tsuna could immediately sense the difference between the brothers. Mukuro was a bitter teenager with a dark past but he still put on the façade of a playful pervert. Kira emitted pure darkness and hatred. His smile sent chills up Tsuna's spine and he could have sworn he saw a thick black smoke surrounding the older male. If Mukuro, who claimed to have been to hell and back, was a demon…then Kira was the devil incarnate.

"I've never heard of you," Tsuna told him while trying to keep the fear out of his voice.

He got to his feet, gently pulling Ryohei up with him, and faced his new foe with an air of confidence.

Kira chuckled and twirled his left wrist in a dismissive gesture. Tsuna could hear his hoop bracelets clanging against each other. _He wears jewelry? As if he wasn't weird enough already…_

"Of course you haven't. Mukuro would never mention his long lost brother. Only someone he completely trusts would know his deepest, darkest secrets. You're not that special to him. You're unworthy."

Tsuna felt Ryohei shiver beside him as the boxer leaned on him heavily for support. True, this man had bad intentions, but why was Ryohei particularly terrified? Kira stepped closer to them and Tsuna quickly pushed his Sun Guardian back behind him. Kira stopped a few feet away and his fake smile disappeared. His blue eyes seemed to darken and swirl as he glared at Tsuna and scowled.

"Now if you don't mind, I would like to retrieve what I have come for. Ryohei-kun…come here."

The smile was back in place and if Tsuna didn't know better he would actually believe that the warmth in Kira's tone and the gentility in his eyes was genuine.

Behind him, Ryohei shook his head, and shakily said, "N-n-no."

Kira was not pleased with Ryohei's act of disobedience and a cloud of rage grew above his head as he growled, "Come here…NOW."

This time, it was Tsuna who shouted, "No! Leave Onii-san alone!"

Ryohei whimpered and gripped Tsuna's shoulders tightly as the smog around Kira grew larger. The air became heavy and hot, leaving them struggling to breathe. Tsuna felt the cold hands of fear wrap around his heart and squeeze. The sheer pressure of Kira's aura made Tsuna and Ryohei fall to their knees, gasping for air. _I have to do something to stop him…or else we'll suffocate. But I'm so…tired._

Just as Tsuna thought all hope was lost, he heard a familiar voice shout, "Hey, you bastard! Get away from Juudaime and the Lawn Head!"

Through the smoke…Tsuna could make out the forms of his other Guardians. He smiled weakly and whispered to Ryohei (who was barely conscious also) that everything would be all right and that they were safe now. Then, he gave in and passed out.

**With Reborn and the other Guardians (since Tsuna is out cold)…**

Kira suddenly lifted his smoke off of Tsuna and Ryohei as he felt them succumb to unconsciousness. Malicious smile in place, he turned to greet the others, but his eyes shone as they came upon the sight of his brother.

Mukuro's weary gaze was set on Kira as he asked quietly, "Why are you here…after all this time?"

Kira's smile faltered as he recognized the sadness in Mukuro's tone, "Mukuro…I came here to find you. It's time we reunited and put the past behind us. I've missed you, my beloved little brother."

Gokudera and Yamamoto seemed torn between watching the tense conversation between Mukuro and his older brother and rushing over to Tsuna and Ryohei. Hibari clenched his jaw and fought the urge to tear the bastard herbivore to pieces for harming Tsunayoshi. The cute herbivore was his prey…and Hibari despised those who dared to go after what was rightfully his. Reborn was silent, simply taking in the scene before him. Chikusa and Ken were tense behind their leader, prepared to jump in to defend him if needed.

Mukuro sighed and glanced over to where Tsuna and Ryohei's bodies laid, "Why did you attack Tsunayoshi and Sasagawa-kun? If you're here for me then you had no cause for this. They have nothing to do with us and our history."

Kira completely dropped and he spoke with venom dripping off his voice, "The Vongola Decimo has EVERYTHING to do with why I am here. Have you forgotten what that family did to us? Do you not see what truly lies behind that cute face and cheerful personality? He's using you! He's got all of his Guardians wrapped around his finger! That's what these Vongola bastards do. How could you let yourself be drawn in with them?"

The illusionist flinched slightly at Kira's words but he spoke firmly in return, "You're wrong about him. At first I thought the same way…but Tsunayoshi proved that we cannot judge others based on what their predecessors have done. We are all here because we believe in him…and we love him…and we would give our lives for him. You would never understand what it's like to truly care for someone. You're too bitter and angry to see what's right in front of you."

Hibari had to admit that he was impressed with the strength and conviction he heard in the pineapple's voice. The others remained silent and observed cautiously as Mukuro left them and walked over to his brother. Mukuro reached out a hand and gently caressed Kira's left cheek. The sign of affection was clearly more intimate than was appropriate for siblings to display, and Hibari felt his stomach churn as Kira sighed and leaned into that hand with his eyes closed.

Kira opened his eyes and gazed lovingly into Mukuro's heterochromatic eyes, "Ku-chan…please…forgive me. Come with me. I don't want to lose you again."

Mukuro suddenly seemed unsure and quickly removed his hand and stepped away from the red head.

"No. You need to go now, Kira. I don't want to see you anymore. Just go…please."

Kira's eyes narrowed and he shook his head, "This is unacceptable. I am now absolutely certain that the Vongola have brainwashed you! I will leave…and you and Ryohei-kun are coming with me."

A pre-battle jolt of adrenalin surged through everyone, but before the fight could begin, Reborn jumped down from Yamamoto's shoulder and calmly stood in the middle of the battlefield, staring down the enraged peacock.

"You! You are one of the Arcobaleno! Normally I would not dare to fight you, but in your current state you are weak. Move out of the way or else be prepared to die!" Kira threatened.

Reborn said calmly, "Oh? Do what you will…but first…I have a proposition for you."

The others knew that Reborn had something up his sleeve, and they had a feeling that whatever it was would cause them nothing but trouble.

Kira's angry aura lessened and he stared down at Reborn, clearly intrigued, "Hmm…I suppose I could spare a minute to hear you out. Speak quickly cursed infant."

Reborn indulged him, "I hear you are a man who loves a challenge. You have been called the Master of Games…and so, I have a game in mind…a dangerous and exciting game. Are you interested?"

Mukuro stiffened and his loyal subjects gazed at him worriedly. He must know something bad was going to happen…and he seemed extremely nervous.

Kira's eyes widened before a Cheshire grin spread across his face and he stated proudly, "You have heard correct. No puzzle is too difficult for me to solve…no game too hard to beat…no sport too rough to win…for I am the Master of Games. Tell me, what is this game you speak of?"

Reborn tilted his fedora down to cover his beady black eyes and smirked, "A fight between you…and Tsuna…in the area of expertise of each of his Guardians. You and he will have seven days to train with these techniques and on the eighth day…you will battle each other."

Dread came to visit within the minds of the horrified spectators. Tsuna would have to fight this man? He was clearly insane…and they could feel the dark power emanating from him. Had Reborn lost his mind?

"Reborn-san!" Gokudera cried, distraught at the thought of losing his precious Tenth to that devil.

"Arcobaleno…this is hardly fair to Tsunayoshi. He is not even conscious to decide for himself whether he is willing to participate in this madness," Mukuro hissed, and everyone could see the panic in his eyes.

Kira laughed suddenly and the sound was enough to make the hairs on everyone's arms and back of the necks stand.

"What prize does the winner receive? And what befalls the loser?" Kira inquired gleefully.

Reborn said, "If you win, you get to take Mukuro and Ryohei…and you have the oath of the Vongola family that we will not hinder you in your endeavors or hunt you down…for the rest of your life. If you lose, you will turn yourself in and accept whatever judgment is placed upon you. You will also lose any claims you have on your brother and Tsuna's Sun Guardian. So…do we have a deal?"

They all waited in utter silence…no one dared to take or release a breath.

And then Kira spoke, "Yes, I accept your challenge."

The others could breathe again, but now they were paralyzed with fear and anger.

"However, I assure you…that you have only prolonged the inevitable. Sawada Tsunayoshi will fall before me…and I will have vengeance. I will leave and begin preparations."

He turned and was a foot away from the door before he stopped and glanced over his shoulder at Mukuro as he called out, "Take care Ku-chan! I swear that we will be together as soon as this is over. You know I will win…I always do."

With those chilling words…Rokuda Kira left the building…and Mukuro finally collapsed to the ground in a fit of sobs.

"What have you done? You don't know him like I do! Kira always wins. He won't stop until he gets what he wants! He'll kill Tsunayoshi…and he'll take me…don't let him take me again!"

Reborn's face remained expressionless as he nodded for Yamamoto and Gokudera to check on Tsuna and Ryohei. Ken and Chikusa seemed at a loss for what to do. It was Hibari who swooped in and literally smacked some sense back into the hysterical illusionist.

"Get a hold of yourself herbivore! Stop sniveling like a baby or else I will bite you to death."

His words were harsh and cruel as usual, but Mukuro could see the concern in those piercing eyes. He smiled and sniffled pathetically but he got to his feet and laughed half-heartedly.

"Kufufufu…aww…are you worried about me Kyouya? How adorable! Should we go back to the sick bay and continue where we left off?"

Hibari growled and raised a tonfa to strike the smirking pineapple but was stopped as he heard Tsuna's voice, "What's going on?"

The prefect sighed, his eye twitching in irritation, and shot the blue-haired menace a look which clearly stated, 'Piss me off one more time and you're dead'.

They all gathered around the small brunette, who had his arms wrapped protectively around Ryohei. They were both pale and shaking, but it was unclear whether they were cold or frightened.

Reborn explained briefly, "Rokudo Kira is gone now…but we only have seven days to train before you have to fight him Dame-Tsuna."

Tsuna's eyes bulged and he squeaked, "What?!"

Reborn spoke again, only more slowly, as if talking to a child, "You have to fight Mukuro's brother in eight days. Seven of those days you will train with your Guardians in their styles. If you lose…he will take Ryohei and Mukuro…and the Vongola will not be able to stop him while he attempts to destroy those who ruined his life. Do you understand now?"

The future leader of the Vongola family blinked and seemed to contemplate his tutor's words for a moment, until he said, "Can we at least go home and relax for tonight? Since I have to train for seven days…I'm going to need some rest. Plus, I'm pretty hungry."

The tension lifted and the exhausted group finally left the building. They went their separate ways and agreed to meet at the entrance to the forest on the edge of town. They would need space and privacy to train for the looming battle. As Tsuna curled up in his bed that night, his mind was overflowing with heavy thoughts, but only one stood out. _Can I really defeat him?_

**So…whatcha think? Sorry for the shortness, but I will post the next chapter really soon! I promise! Reviews please! And also, if you read my above note, please let me know what you think about the poll!  
**


	11. The Morning Of

**Hello again! I did say I would update again really soon…lol…REALLY soon. Happy Valentine's Day! In honor of such a lovely occasion…please enjoy this next fluffy chapter! Tsuna is being a pervert again! As stated two chapters back: Yamamoto and Ryohei discuss Kira's interest in the Sun Guardian and Gokudera meets with a former rival. Enjoy! **

**Guarding Tsuna chapter eleven**

**The Morning Of**

The next day was thankfully the first day of the weekend so there was no school. Tsuna's morning began as usual, he was rudely awakened by Reborn shooting a cannonball at him, which left a large hole in the wall beside his bed. The Sawada household was chaotic as Lambo ran amok and I-Pin chased the "broccoli monster". Fuuta was creating rankings for how many yaoi fandoms each anime show had while Bianchi helped Nana clean up after everyone ate their breakfast. Tsuna felt a wave of sadness wash over him as he observed his family. They were so happy and fun, but they were lucky not to have such a heavy burden on their shoulders…like he did. _But I will do what I have to because I will protect everyone I care about. I swear I will keep you all safe._

"Let's go Dame-Tsuna. We need to meet everyone in twenty minutes," Reborn announced.

Tsuna sighed and nodded before turning to follow his tutor out the door. As he was leaving, he heard his mother wish him a good day, and he suddenly felt sick to his stomach. If she only knew…

**With Gokudera…**

"What brings you here Goku-chan?" Naito Longchamp asked with a cheerful grin.

Gokudera had arrived at the strange red-head's mansion a few minutes ago and was now glaring at the collage of pictures of Tsuna.

"What the hell is that? You freak! I know you were part of Reborn-san's plan to test us…but that is still seriously disturbing. Get rid of that right now!" he spat.

Longchamp turned his head slightly to regard his beloved collection with a small smile before he turned back to Gokudera and said seriously, "No can do! My feelings for Sawada-chan are real…and even though I have no chance with him…at least I can watch him from the sidelines. Now then, why are you here? Don't you have a training session with Sawada-chan today?"

Gokudera sighed and pinched the space between his eyes before he raised his weary gaze to meet Longchamp's curious one, "You are helping Reborn-san and Dino-san aren't you? Are you the one gathering information on Rokudo Kira?"

Longchamp frowned and gestured for Gokudera to follow him as he stood. The frustrated Storm Guardian bit his tongue and walked with the eccentric mafia leader through the long winding hallways of the hectic mansion. Naito's men were just as crazy as their leader and Gokudera was disgusted as he watched many of them entertain themselves with a food fight as they passed the kitchen. They arrived at a room filled with state of the art technology and Gokudera had to admit that he was impressed. It seemed that Lonchamp had ordered his most serious and diligent men to search for information and keep up surveillance on the dangerous peacock. He winced as he realized that Naito's men also had numerous areas of the Guardian's homes and hang-outs bugged as well. Hibari would not be pleased if he found out.

"There, you see Goku-chan? No need to worry. I've got everything covered. Cavallone-san and Sawada-san are currently meeting with the Ninth Vongola and other members of the associate families. So go help Sawada-chan prepare ok?" Naito tried to reassure him.

Gokudera sighed and shook his head as he replied, "That's great and all…but I think you misunderstood my intentions. I want to help watch him. I want to know more about this bastard. I don't know what Reborn-san has in mind…but after hearing about that dream…I don't think it's wise to just wait for something to happen. We should get rid of him now, before he tries to hurt Juudaime."

Longchamp observed him with wide eyes and whispered in a shocked tone, "Goku-chan…are you serious? You want to go after him now? By yourself? Do you have any idea how dangerous that man is?"

Gokudera frowned, "No, but that's why I need your help. Tell me everything you know about Rokudo Kira…and leave the rest to me."

The pierced boy shook his head and patted the bomber's shoulder as he gave him a shaky smile, "Goku-chan…I'm sorry but you need to forget about that crazy idea. What would happen if you got hurt…or worse? Sawada-chan would be upset! Don't break his heart Goku-chan. If you really love him, then stand by his side and help him grow stronger."

The gray-haired smoker blinked, surprised by Longchamp's show of wisdom, and then he smiled. With a nod of gratitude, Gokudera turned and left the mansion. The idiot had a point. There was no guarantee that he would survive a head-on collision with the dangerous man. Gokudera had sensed the darkness and power lurking beneath the surface, hidden by that crooked smile and calculating blue eyes. Gokudera Hayato was brave. He had seen evil and faced many perilous trials…but this time…he was truly afraid. As much as he had believed in his beloved Tenth, he wasn't sure that he would survive the fight with that monster.

**Meanwhile, at the gathering point…**

Tsuna and Reborn had arrived and were not surprised to find Hibari and Chrome there already. The air was tense around them and Tsuna could see the poor girl fidgeting nervously beside the glaring prefect. As they approached, Chrome's eyes lit up and she smiled at Tsuna, but Hibari's glare merely intensified. Tsuna mentally squeaked as he felt the barely contained anger seeping through his Cloud Guardian's pores. Hibari was clearly displeased about being there and Tsuna knew he would be the one to suffer the sadist's wrath.

"Ohayo, Boss and Reborn-san!" Chrome greeted warmly.

Reborn nodded and Tsuna said, "Ohayo Chrome-san. Where are Ken-san and Chikusa-san?"

Chrome's cheer seemed to dampen as she hesitantly responded, "Um…they stayed home…to…um…spend some time together. Mukuro-sama agreed that they were not needed here."

Tsuna was puzzled by the awkward tone she was using but as he glanced over to Hibari, he was shocked to notice pink spreading across the prefect's cheeks! _Hibari-san is blushing? Hell must be freezing over! What is going on? He looks kind of cute like that. It makes me want to go up to him and- WOAH. Wait. Stop right there! Bad Tsuna! Naughty thoughts go away!_

The poor brunette was rescued from his mental breakdown by the voice of Gokudera calling to him, "Tenth! I'm so sorry I'm late. My watch must be wrong. Please forgive me for my insolence!"

His right hand man dropped to his knees before Tsuna and mumbled apologies. Tsuna felt a drop of sweat form at the back of his head and Chrome giggled. Hibari sneered at the herbivore's pathetic show of submission. He hated weak idiots and wished he could bite Gokudera Hayato to death right then and there…but he knew the infant was watching. He would not be allowed to dispose of the loud-mouth yet, but he had hopes of one day doing so while no one else was around.

"Gokudera-kun, I told you to stop doing that! You're not late! We're just really early!"

_For once. _Tsuna frowned slightly and tried to ignore that annoying voice in his head. _Gokudera-kun looks pretty good today. His face is flushed and his hair is pushed back and flying in the wind. Just listen to him breathing heavily. Is that a drop of sweat rolling down his neck? I'll bet it tastes good. Just one lick is ok right? He won't mind. He loves me too. I wonder if he tastes yummy. And his mouth…does it taste like cigarettes? Or that mint he always chews after smoking?_

Tsuna hadn't realized he was practically drooling as he ogled his best friend until he heard Reborn's snide remark, "Dame-Tsuna, stop thinking perverted thoughts about Gokudera."

Tsuna blushed heavily and averted his gaze to the ground. Gokudera's cheeks tinted pink as well and he smiled sheepishly. He was so pleased that the Tenth had noticed him in that way! Hibari's eyes narrowed and Chrome once again giggled. She thought the image of Tsuna and Gokudera together was cute, but she felt a ripple of anger and resentment coming from Mukuro-sama in the back of her mind. He was quite jealous of the thought of Tsuna being with anyone other than himself.

"I wonder what's taking Yamamoto and Onii-san so long?" Tsuna said quietly.

Gokudera scoffed ad stuck his hands into the pockets of his baggy jeans as he said, "I'll bet that baseball idiot got lost and that stupid Lawn Head forgot we were meeting today."

Tsuna was just about to chide his friend for such callous remarks, but he then realized that both of his optimistic guardians were a bit on the slow side. _Ah, but it doesn't make me love them any less. At least they are kind, cute, and have gorgeous bods…wait…no! STOP BEING A PERVERT!_

**Meanwhile, with Yamamoto and Ryohei…**

Yamamoto had left the sushi shop a bit later than he had planned but he figured with his long legs and natural speed, he would be able to get there quickly. He was only a mile from the forest entrance when he came across Ryohei, who was also headed in that direction.

"Hey Senpai! Are you running late too?" he asked amiably as he joined him.

Ryohei glanced up at him, caught off guard by the taller boy's sudden appearance, and cracked a grin, "Hey Yamamoto! We're both EXTREMELY late today!"

Yamamoto immediately knew that something was wrong as he noticed the dark circles under the boxer's eyes. He frowned and debated whether he should ask about it or leave it be…but his decision was made for him as Ryohei suddenly stumbled. With lightning fast reflexes, he caught the older boy and helped him stand straight.

"Ah! You have my EXTREME thanks. I guess I wasn't paying attention," Ryohei laughed boisterously, but Yamamoto could hear the strain in his voice.

He frowned and came to a halt, his hand on Ryohei's shoulder, making the Sun Guardian stop with him.

"Senpai, normally I wouldn't say anything since it's not my business, but considering everything that's been going on lately…I think that something's bothering you. Please tell me, maybe I can help."

Ryohei was silent for a few minutes and Yamamoto bit his lip as he mentally berated himself for sticking his nose where it didn't belong. Just as he was about to apologize, Ryohei spoke.

"It's Kyoko. She didn't come home last night. I really needed to talk to her…to explain why I said those things…but now I can't. She called mom and told her she was staying at her friend Hana's house but when I stopped by this morning, she was already gone."

Yamamoto remained quiet, sensing that there was more troubling Ryohei.

"I know Sawada needs us…and I would do anything to protect him…but I'm scared. You guys don't know that man. He is an EXTREMELY bad man. I asked him to join my boxing club when I first met him because he was so strong and fast, but when I looked into his eyes…I only saw darkness."

Ryohei shivered and Yamamoto frowned. The Senpai he knew was always loud, cheerful, and energetic. This Rokudo Kira person had obviously done something terrible to transform him into this empty shell of a human being.

He finally asked the question which had been nagging him since yesterday, "Senpai…how do you know Rokudo Kira? It makes sense that he wants Mukuro…but what does he want with you?"

The look of sheer terror on Ryohei's face was enough to make Yamamoto gasp.

"K-k-Kira-san…he took over my body. He touched me, everywhere. I felt that cold, that darkness, that anger flowing through me. He made me say terrible things to Kyoko and made me watch as I fought Sawada."

Yamamoto felt tears sting his eyes as he gently prodded, "Senpai…why does he want you?"

Ryohei's breath came out shaky as he whispered, "He said he wanted to bring the sun down…and cover it with darkness. He said he wanted everyone to feel the same cold he has suffered every day of his life. He said he was going to add me to his…collection."

Yamamoto raised an eyebrow, "Collection?"

Ryohei shivered again, his trembling causing the beaded black bracelets on his left wrist to make sounds. Yamamoto glanced down at them and wondered since when did Ryohei wear jewelry?

Ryohei's eyes were blank as he said, "He has a collection…of people."

**GASP! A collection of people? FREAK! Lol. But I do adore Kira, because he is my creation. I'll go into more details of his meeting with Ryohei and his history with Mukuro later. Next chapter: The training begins and Tsuna's first teacher is….(drumroll please) GOKUDERA! Yay! Any 5927 fans out there, make sure not to miss it! Fluff and lime galore. Yes, LIME. As in, hot action of the previous Yamamto-Tsuna kind. **


	12. Day One: Gokudera

**Hiya folks! It's sure been a looooong time hasn't it? (gets hit by vegetables being thrown from the readers) Ow! Well, I guess I deserved that. Anyway, I deeply apologize and even though I am really busy right now with homework and a thunderstorm is threatening to zap away my electricity, here I am finally updating this story! I hope it's decent…I feel so sucky lately and summer school in college is tough. (cries) Anybody good with Philosophy and wants to help me? (gets shot by Reborn) NEVER MIND! **

**Warning: Contains yaoi a.k.a. boys getting it on! MWAHAHA. Don't like then don't read. This takes place before the TYL arc so there will be no rings or boxes! Sorry if that bugs you but I'm not gonna write about something I'm not completely familiar with cuz I don't want to screw it up.**

**Guarding Tsuna chapter 12**

**Day One: Gokudera**

Tsuna could tell that something was wrong when Yamamoto and Ryohei finally arrived. They were five minutes late and Reborn had immediately punished them by sending them jogging for 27 laps along a path in the forest. Tsuna felt sweat form on his head as he wondered at the extreme-ness of the punishment and could not figure why Reborn would choose the number 27. Yamamoto did not laugh it off and Ryohei did not exclaim how EXTREME the work-out would be. They merely nodded and obeyed in silence. Considering what Ryohei had just been through, Tsuan was deeply troubled by this. He furrowed his brows and bit his lip as he resolved to question Yamamoto about it later, because right now he was being pre-occupied by an ecstatic Gokudera.

"Juudaime! I'm so glad to be of service to you today! I promise that I will do my best to teach you my style!" he said as they separated from the group.

"Remember that there are cameras hidden everywhere watching you at all times so if anything happens…I'll know," Reborn called after them and Tsuna shivered at the strange gleam in those black coal eyes.

Tsuna really was not looking forward to this fight with Rokudo Kira and wasn't sure he would be able to learn all of his guardians' techniques within seven days. Nevertheless, he swallowed his fears and plunged onward. Everyone was depending on him and he refused to let them down. Gokudera finally stopped at the base of a hill. There was a large rocky wall behind them and a stream only about ten feet away for when they needed to rest and drink water. There, the ground leveled out for several meters before the trees grew too thick for any kind of exploding projectiles to be released safely. Tsuna sat on a patch of grass and smiled warmly at his friend.

"Whenever you're ready," he said.

Gokudera beamed at him and grabbed from his back pocket a single mini-bomb.

"Since it would take too long to properly go over what these bombs are made of and the chemical reactions which occur in order to explode them I will just teach you how to handle them properly so that you can blow that bastard sky high. Even with my rocket bombs, the destination of every stick of dynamite has already been calculated before release. This way, I do not accidentally harm myself or any others in the vicinity who are not the intended target," Gokudera spoke smoothly as if he had forgotten all about the first time he met Tsuna.

Tsuna paled as he remembered several times when his friend had _accidentally_ thrown some bombs in the direction of innocent bystanders. _Didn't he nearly blow himself up the first time we met as he attacked me? What about his calculations then?_

"You'd never do that, Gokudera-kun," Tsuna said in a show of kindness, and Gokudera's face flushed with pride.

"With dynamite, the kinematical equation has to factor in not only velocity, acceleration, and time, but the effect the lit fuse will have on the path of your trajectory."

And so, Gokudera's explanation grew into an exposition on angles, displacement, and terrestrial mechanics, and Tsuna found himself getting dizzy at the large words and mathematical terms. Gokudera was clearly too wrapped up in his monologue that he did not seem to notice he had lost Tsuna a long time ago. Despite his frustration at not being able to comprehend Gokudera's teachings, Tsuna was pleased to just observe his best friend. His animated movements and the expressive way his gorgeous green eyes widened and his lips drawing back into a smile, as if there is nothing more enjoyable than teaching Tsuna how to use dynamite at eight in the morning, were adorable. _He really is attractive and I never noticed how soothing his voice can be…probably because he's usually too busy yelling at Yamamoto. It would be nice to hear him moaning my name…_

Tsuna squeaked and turned bright red as he realized his train of thought had led to a rather disturbing place.

"Juudaime? What's wrong? Did something happen?" Gokudera finally snapped out of his teaching mode and rushed over to Tsuna.

Tsuna shook his head frantically, "N-n-no! Nothing is wrong! Please continue…um…whatever you were last saying."

Suddenly, Gokudera pushed a hand into his mussed gray hair and looked decidedly sheepish for realizing belatedly that he'd lost Tsuna less than five minutes into their lesson.

"Sorry, Juudaime, I..."

"No, I'm sorry! I should have tried harder to pay attention! How about a demonstration instead?"

"Okay," he replied cheerfully, and took out four mini-bombs.

He lit them each quickly in turn before flashing a grin and tossing them upward, four small cylinders alighting against the pale yellow of early morning. The ensuing explosions shattered the silence, echoing up the hill and through the branches of the trees, sending a flock of birds into frantic flight. Tsuna smiled and tried to focus on the task at hand, but once again his eyes zeroed in on his Storm Guardian's body rather than the bombs.

Gokudera was still speaking, something about the degree of launch and initial velocity, as he held up four more mini-bombs braced between his slender fingers. Tsuna cocked his head and stared at Gokudera's hair as it flowed gently along with his movements. He watched the muscles in his arms shift and contract in fluid motion, echoing the swirling stream not too far from them. He realized in awe how Gokudera's technique is nothing less than meticulous, every movement predetermined and skillfully executed. Then, he felt his stomach tighten and heat rush through his veins as he noticed sweat dripping slowly down the side of Gokudera's neck. _Oh no…I can't control this much longer. And Reborn is watching! That sadist is probably aware of my problem and wants to see me snap! THAT PERVERT!_

"Gokudera-kun…could you come here for a moment?" Tsuna spoke quietly into his chest as he kept his head down and avoided looking Gokudera in the eye.

"Ah, of course Juudaime! Is there something wrong?" he asked as he stepped closer and squatted down in front of his leader.

Suddenly, Tsuna attacked him and pulled his friend into a fierce hug, which knocked Gokudera off blance so that he landed on his butt. Tsuna leaned close, pressing his face into the shocked Guardian's chest and breathed in the smoke that clings as always to his clothes. He felt Tsuna's hands on his chest as Tsuna pushed him down onto his back and put his legs on both sides of Gokudera hips, straddling him. He looked down into Gokudera's serious, beautiful eyes and Gokudera gazed back in awe. _I want him so badly and I don't care if Reborn's watching. _

He whispered, "I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

And for some reason his heart was pounding so hard that it almost hurt and he caould feel that Gokudera was the same because his palm was resting on his chest and he smiled as their hearts beat in unison. Then, his eyes widened in surprise as Gokudera turned them so that he was now on top of Tsuna. He leaned down and quickly attached his lips to Tsuna's, biting and sucking gently on the Tenth's bottom lip almost nervously. Gokudera forced himself to let go of Tsuna's lips after a minute, leaving them both gasping for air.

"Juudaime, I'm so sorry I don't know what came over me. If you never want to speak to me again, then I understand."

Gokudera was about to roll off of his boss, but Tsuna's strong grip on his arms prevented him from doing so. Their eyes met, honey brown and piercing jade, and Tsuna smiled lovingly to reassure his friend, but his eyes were serious and his voice was firm.

"Please, don't go. I started this because I wanted to. Please, please…just let go of your need to be my right hand man. Just this once, I need you to love me as a person, not as your leader."

Gokudera felt his breath leave him at his precious Tenth's words. The world around him was going haywire and in the back of his mind he briefly worried that Reborn was watching, but he threw it out the window as Tsuna quietly moaned his name.

"Yes Juudaime. I promise I can do that for you. I would do anything for you," he whispered and lowered to meet their lips again.

"Tsuna…call me Tsuna," the boy beneath him replied.

The tip of his tongue brushed Gokudera's lips and he so sure and sexy, that Gokudera felt so hot suddenly, and he trembled.

"Juudaime," he murmured, his voice sounded husky and lustful.

Then he put his mouth on Tsuna's neck and bit him, teasing his flesh before he made his was down to Tsuna's collarbone and sucked gently. Biting every now and then, he delighted in the quiet squeaks he issued from Tsuna's lips and the brunette's hips jolted upward with impatience at his storm guardian's teasing. Both of the boys shared a loud hiss as their lengths rubbed together through the fabric of the jeans.

Suddenly, a warm shiver ran down Gokudera's spine when the Tenth started kissing his neck with his warm lips and tongue, and he heard himself groan, "Juudaime…"

"How many times do I have to say it, Gokudera-kun?" Tsuna groaned half in annoyance and half in amusement, "You should call me Tsuna, especially at a time like this!"

"Ah, gomenasai, I forgot Juu- I mean, Tsuna," Gokudera he replied with a flush of embarrassment, but deep down he was truly happy.

His heart fluttered as he witnessed Tsuna's pretty smile, and his wide eyes, and he found his mouth echoing that. He captured Tsuna's lips with his once again roughly and let his hands roam his Juudaime's lean stomach till he found the hem of Tsuna's jeans.

Tsuna instantly broke the kiss, "Wait! Gokudera-kun!"

Gokudera jumped off and stared at his boss in alarm and shame. Had Tsuna changed his mind? Had he gone too far?

"Um, it's not that I don't want to right now, it's just that Reborn is watching and…"

Gokudera's eyes widened and he nearly fainted as he remembered his earlier fear, "AH! You're right! Reborn-san is watching and now he knows that I'm a pervert! Oh Juudaime, I'm so sorry!"

"Hahahaha, don't worry about it Gokudera-kun," Tsuna said lightheartedly, "I don't care what he thinks. I just don't want our first time to be in this sort of place."

Gokudera sighed and nodded, half relieved but also half disappointed, "Of course. Well then, I need to go take care of something for a moment but I will be right back Juudaime!"

He frowned as he realized that it felt dirty to have to leave his beloved alone just so that he could take care of the problem he had developed in his lower region. Damn hormones.

Tsuna nodded, a slight blush on his face as he noticed the bulge in the front of Gokudera's pants. _That's because of me! _

As Gokudera turned to walk away, Tsuna spoke quietly and hesitantly, "I love you."

Gokudera froze and found that he could not even turn back to look Tsuna in the eye. He was filled with so many emotions that he was on overload. Tears dripped out of his eyes and he barely noticed as Tsuna stepped around him and gazed worriedly at his face.

"Gokudera-kun? Have I upset you?"

Gokudera shook his head and grinned, for once not caring if he looked like an idiot in front of his Tenth, "No way! I'm so happy Juudaime! I love you too and I've always wished to hear you say those words to me…"

Tsuna's smile melted off of his face as he noticed the sadness lingering in his friend's eyes.

"But Juudaime…Tsuna…you care about those other guys too don't you? You haven't really chosen me yet, right?"

Tsuna felt his heart shatter as he realized that Gokudera was right. He did still have feelings for his other Guardians and it wasn't right for him to tell Gokudera that he loved him when he wasn't sure yet who his soul mate is.

"I'm so sorry Gokudera-kun. I wasn't thinking. I do love them as well, and I'm really confused about what I should do, but please…please believe that I have never lied to you. I do love you and I enjoyed every minute of what we just did."

Gokudera's eyes flashed with an emotion Tsuna could not decipher but then it was gone and Gokudera just grinned as if nothing had happened.

"That's ok! I know that I'm the one for you in the end anyway! Those guys don't stand a chance because they aren't right for you Juudaime! I have faith in our love!"

Tsuna smiled weakly as he watched his right-hand man march away to take care of business. _Gokudera-kun…I don't want to hurt you. I don't deserve your faith._

**Now with Gokudera…**

"Che…those damn bastards are getting in the way of my relationship with Juudaime! I knew I should have bombed them away a long time ago. I have to win this war! I just know that we belong together," he grumbled to himself as he stomped through the forest.

Gokudera did not plan on going too far, but he needed the time and space in order to cool his head. Plus, his little friend was still a bit too excited from his time with Tsuna.

"Damn. I need to picture something gross to make me calm down…how about…Hibari kissing that freak Mukuro! Ah, that's better!"

And so, Gokudera's excitement vanished as he remembered the scene he had walked in on the day prior.

"Oh? That moody Cloud Guardian was kissing my dear brother? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised since my little Ku-chan has always been quite the looker," a voice spoke from behind him.

Gokudera jumped and his blood ran cold as he twisted around and saw the villainous form of Rokudo Kira.

"You! What are you doing here?" he snarled, anger making him forget the spark of fear this strange man evoked in him.

Kira smirked and replied cheekily, "My poor boy, are you always this tense? You need to loosen up a bit more. It seems the little Vongola wasn't able to bring you enough pleasure. He's such a little tease isn't he?"

Rage exploded out of Gokudera as he shouted, "Don't you dare talk about Juudaime that way! You don't fucking know him! You bastard! I'm going to kill you!"

He reached for his bombs but was too slow. He gasped as Kira was beside him in half a second and gripped his arm tightly inches away from his sleeve opening where he hid some sticks of dynamite.

"Now Hayato-kun…that's not very nice. I was only suggesting that perhaps I could be of more assistance to you than your adorable little weakling of a leader. It looks like I'm going to need to teach you some manners," Kira chirped pleasantly, but Gokudera was not fooled by the crooked smile.

"What are you going to do?" he asked, fear laced through his voice.

Kira's smile vanished and his blue eyes glittered dangerously, "I'm going to let you in on a little secret: I am called the Master of Games because I always win…and I always win because I know everyone's weaknesses just by looking at them. Want to know your weakness Hayato-kun?"

Gokudera frowned and tried to release his arm from Kira's grip, but he hissed in pain as the hold tightened and he felt his skin burn. The strength of this maniac was frightening! This man was a true demon, and Gokudera felt nothing but fear for his beloved Tenth as he realized that this was a battle the brunette was bound to lose.

"Your weakness is that you would give your life for someone weaker than yourself. You have faith in someone who is sure to let you down. You, Gokudera Hayato, are a fool, and now you will have the honor of joining my collection," Kira said as a dark cloud of smog surrounded them.

Gokudera's eyes widened in terror and opened his mouth to scream, "Juudaime!"

**With Tsuna…**

Tsuna's ears twitched and he stood straight as his heart raced. Something was seriously wrong, and hyper Intuition told him that it had to do with Gokudera.

"Gokudera-kun?" he shouted, but no one responded.

**Meanwhile….**

A blanket of black smoke lifted off a figure lying on the ground curled up in the fetal position. Rokudo Kira's laughter rang throughout the forest as he smirked down at the shivering form of Gokudera Hayato, who now had a black beaded bracelet on his left wrist.

"Game score: Kira-2, Vongola-0. I wonder who's next?" he snickered as he turned and left, ignoring his new toy who had fallen unconscious.

**Oh wow, that turned out better than I thought! Please review and I do apologize for taking so long to update! Don't forget to keep voting ok?**


	13. Day Two: Yamamoto

**If I continue at this rate I hope to finish this story by late August or early September. Stay with me folks and keep voting in the poll if you haven't yet, unless you are going to wait until the second-to-last chapter. **

**Thanks to my reviewers! I love you guys so much!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn (unfortunately)**

**Warning: Yaoi**

**Guarding Tsuna chapter 13**

**Day Two: Yamamoto**

**The next day…**

"He has a collection of people."

Yamamoto shivered as he recalled Ryohei saying those words the day before. He had tried to get the boxer to open up more and explain his statement but he had gone silent and refused to respond. Truth be told, Yamamoto was nervous about that guy Kira and his upcoming fight with Tsuna. Something was different about him compared to the other opponents they have faced since starting the Mafia Game.

The atmosphere was tense as Tsuna and his Guardians gathered outside of the forest again. Gokudera had surprised them by showing up, but all could see how pale he was and that he was trembling. Tsuna had dark circles under his eyes because he had stayed up all night cuddling and trying to console his Storm Guardian. It had been a shock when he had gone to find Gokudera and was horrified to discover his friend unconscious in the middle of the forest. Gokudera would not open up to anyone about what had occurred, but the suspicion that it had something to do with Rokudo Kira was in the back of everyone's mind.

"Today Tsuna, you are training with Yamamoto. Stay together and if anything happens just call for help and we'll come," Reborn spoke firmly.

Tsuna and Yamamoto nodded with grim expressions on their faces. They knew why Reborn said those things and knew they had to stay on their toes. Yamamoto turned and led Tsuna away from the others. He headed towards the stream Tsuna and Gokudera had trained near yesterday. They were silent as they walked but both had so much on their mind they didn't even notice.

Reborn turned his attention to the others and said, "While they are training, Hibari will spar with Chrome and Gokudera will spar with Ryohei. We must be at our best because it seems we are playing a game with a masterful cheater."

The Guardians nodded and walked away in separate directions to find a space to practice.

**With Hibari and Chrome…**

Hibari frowned and took out his tonfas. He had no intention of actually sparring with the girl because he needed to speak to Mukuro.

"You, let that pervert come out. I need to speak with him," he ordered as soon as they were out of earshot from Reborn and the others.

Chrome's eye widened and she blushed slightly. Hibari felt a bit annoyed as he realized that Mukuro must have said something inappropriate in her head.

Chrome nodded and returned her attention to the prefect, "He says all right, but he asks that you spar with me for a little while first."

Hibari scowled and asked sharply, "Why? Is he too scared to face me now?"

Chrome had the audacity to giggle before she noticed the dark aura Hibari was giving off and explained, "Not at all. He's actually looking forward to seeing you but he needs more time to regain his strength."

Hibari relaxed a bit but then tensed up again as he got a flashback of Mukuro's flushed face as he was trapped in that strange sleep with a fever. He hated how concerned he had been over the damn pineapple's health, and he especially despised the fact that he had gone temporarily insane and actually kissed him! He knew it was most likely the fault of the Guardian Rings that everyone seemed to be acting out of their norm and letting their hormones control their actions, but he was still angry with himself for letting a piece of jewelry overpower him.

"Fine. I won't go easy on you so give it all you've got," he agreed.

He wasn't comfortable fighting a girl, but she should at least manage half-decently against him if she had the right to be named one of Tsunayoshi's Mist Guardians. He charged her after she took a stance with her trident gripped tightly in her hands. The weapons clashed as she blocked his first attack and Hibari was somewhat impressed as she continued to hold her own against him for the next few minutes. It was nice not to have to hear perverted comments while they sparred, but Hibari reluctantly had to admit that he actually missed fighting Mukuro. He liked being challenged and he was still eager to defeat the male illusionist. Chrome was fast and had some strength despite her small build, but she couldn't hold a candle to her blue-haired look-alike.

**Meanwhile, with Ryohei and Gokudera…**

Ryohei continued to throw punches at Gokudera at lightning speed and was glad not to have to hold back because the other seemed to be quite good at blocking and dodging. Ryohei was fast and agile as he twisted and turned to avoid being hit by the numerous explosives thrown at him. It was a good practice session for both of them because they had opposing fighting styles. Ryohei was a boxer, a close-ranged fighter, while Gokudera used dynamite and was a long-ranged fighter. Ryohei had the brawn and Gokudera had the brains. Despite their constant arguments and traded insults, they knew they were extremely compatible and could even pass as friends. They understood each other and accepted their similar quirkiness and loud personalities.

It was because of this that Gokudera actually answered when Ryohei asked the looming question, "So, what happened yesterday?"

It was phrased casually as they sat on a tree stump with their backs to each other. Gokudera was silent for a few minutes and Ryohei actually was patient as he waited for the silver-haired smoker to reply. He felt an extreme sense of relief as Gokudera leaned back against him and they sat comfortably enjoying the sense of warmth and support the other provided.

Finally, Gokudera spoke up, "Rokudo Kira attacked me. He added me to his collection…just like you."

Ryohei unconsciously shivered and resisted the urge to turn around and wrap his arms around the other Guardian. They were both damaged now because of that evil man, and Ryohei wished there was something he could do to help ease the mental and emotional pain he knew Gokudera was dealing with.

"Yeah, I figured when I saw you shivering. That's what he does. He sucks out the warmth and makes everything cold and dark. He is a bad man to the EXTREME. I hope Sawada beats him…because if he doesn't…then there's no stopping him."

Gokudera nodded and frowned as he voiced his concerns, "But I'm afraid that the Tenth will probably lose. Rokudo Kira is powerful and fast…and cruel. Juudaime is strong too, but he doesn't have the desire for vengeance as his motivation. Rokudo Kira hates the world and wants to make everyone pay for whatever crap he went through. How can Juudaime win against someone who doesn't have anything to lose…but everything to gain?"

Ryohei sighed and shook his head, "I don't know. I want to believe that everything's going to work out…but I feel like something terrible is going to happen. Kyoko still hasn't come home, so I haven't been able to apologize. What should I do?"

Gokudera didn't respond for a few minutes and Ryohei was left to wallow in his misery, until the Storm Guardian jumped to his feet, letting the Sun Guardian fall back off the stump as his support disappeared.

"Hey, what did you do that for Octopus Head?" he yelled as he got up and glared at his rival.

Gokudera smirked and shouted back, "I've had enough of your moping! Come on, let's get back to sparring Lawn Head!"

Ryohei was stunned for a few seconds, but then he suddenly recovered his amazing energy and grinned, "Yeah! Let's fight for real, to the EXTREME!"

Gokudera's smirk fell as he asked in disbelief, "Wait, you weren't fighting for real earlier? You nearly knocked my head off and you were actually holding back?!"

Ryohei shrugged and smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, so you'd better step it up or you'll lose to the EXTREME!"

Gokudera felt his eyebrow twitch and he sighed, "Aw, crap."

**Meanwhile, with Tsuna and Yamamoto…**

Tsuna observed as Yamamoto demonstrated a move for the third time. He was impressed with the strength and speed the baseball player displayed and how smooth and precise his motions were. Yamamoto may seem easygoing and light-hearted, but when he got serious, that intense look in his brown eyes made Tsuna gasp. The taller teen knew what he was doing and Tsuna got the feeling that maybe Yamamoto had a better intuition that he did.

"Do you think you've got it now Tsuna?" his friend asked, bringing him out of his thoughts.

Tsuna smiled weakly and said, "I hope so. You explained it really well and it looked pretty simple, but I'm very clumsy so I might mess it up."

Yamamoto laughed and waved off Tsuna's concern, "Ahaha, don't worry. You'll do fine. I've seen you fight and I know you're stronger than you think. I've got your back so if you fall, I promise I'll catch you."

Tsuna blushed at Yamamoto's words and smiled. Yamamoto always had a way of making him feel at ease. _I wouldn't mind falling if he's always there to catch me with those strong arms. Oh no! Bad Tsuna, stop being a weirdo!_

"Ok, here goes nothing," he muttered as he took the special baseball bat Reborn gave to Yamamoto.

Tsuna stood in the center of the stream and blocked out all of his surroundings. The only sounds he heard were the gentle movements of the stream and his slow, deep breaths. When he felt entirely focused and ready, he pivoted and swung the bat in a wide circle at a high velocity, exceeding 190 mph and turning it into a katana. He then quickly used one of the "Shigure Soen Ryu" offensive moves and sliced through the water, causing a large splash of water rising full-force into the air. Three swipes cut through the water before it fell back down to rejoin the stream.

He was so absorbed in the moment that he had forgotten Yamamoto was present and jumped and spun around as he heard clapping behind him. That's when Tsuna's natural clumsiness kicked in and his foot slipped against a slippery rock on the bottom of the stream. Unable to regain his balance, Tsuna began to fall backwards and squeezed his eyes tightly shut as he prepared for a harsh landing in the water. The splash of cold water never met him as he felt two strong arms wrap around him, stopping his fall. He was straightened up and pulled into a firm chest in a snug embrace. Tsuna knew his face was aflame in embarrassment but his heart fluttered with joy as he realized that Yamamoto had saved him, just as he promised earlier.

"Ahahaha…that was close. Are you ok Tsuna?" Yamamoto said, and Tsuna felt the chest rumbling against his cheek as he spoke.

Tsuna nodded and sniffed, inhaling the fresh scent of nature which clung to Yamamoto's body. _Yamamoto would be the perfect boyfriend. He's strong, funny, kind, gentle, and protective. I feel safe when I'm with him and I don't want him to let me go. Can't we just stay like this forever?_

"Tsuna? Are you sure you're all right? You're really quiet."

Tsuna smiled and leaned back to look into Yamamoto's concerned eyes, "Yes, I'm fine…thanks to you."

Yamamoto's eyes widened in surprise before he returned the smile and blushed lightly. Tsuna was deeply amused. _He's so cute when he's being shy._

The warm, happy moment suddenly changed as Tsuna felt a familiar heat building up inside of him. Yamamoto noticed as his caramel eyes glazed over and his blush deepened as he realized what was happening. He wasn't surprised when Tsuna suddenly hooked his arms around Yamamoto's neck and then pulled his head down to kiss him passionately. Within seconds, he responded and slipped his eager tongue into Tsuna's hot mouth. The world around them disappeared as they focused only on each other.

Tsuna's head swam, and he panted when Yamamoto pulled back after the long contact, only to dive right back in and steal his breath away again. Tsuna was practically putty in his Rain Guardian's hands. He moaned breathily as Yamamoto ravished him, and his face flushed even deeper as their tongues met and the baseball player's hand found its way down to cup his ass. Firmly massaging his rump through the fabric of his pants, he then maneuvered Tsuna's legs around his waist in order to lift him up and out of the stream.

Yamamoto carried Tsuna towards a thicker grass area and set him down gentle. He quickly lied on top of him and leaned down, sucking fiercely at Tsuna's neck and working skillfully with deft fingers to unbutton the boy's shirt. Tsuna tilted his head to the side and stared at Yamamoto, wondering how far they were willing to go this time. Jumping a bit when Yamamoto's busy fingers grazed a nipple, he released a low, sexy moan. The hot mouth detached from his neck and began descending lower on a hot track to his exposed torso. _It's like he's eating me. Oh please Yamamoto, devour me whole!_

Suddenly, the weight lifted off of him and Tsuna's eyes widened in shock. Yamamoto got to his feet and turned his back to Tsuna, muttering quietly to himself. Tsuna was stunned by this turn of events as he numbly buttoned up his shirt and stood as well. _Why did he stop? I don't think I would have been able to end it before it went too far, so why didn't he just take me? I would have let him…_

Tsuna blushed and shook his head. What was he thinking? It wasn't fair to the others that he almost let Yamamoto go all the way. He wasn't even sure he loved Yamamoto the most or that he was his soul mate. The thought of the looks on the others' faces when they found out that Tsuna had let Yamamoto do so much made his heart twinge. _I feel so guilty. If Yamamoto is my soul mate, then why do I feel like I've betrayed someone I really care about? I stopped Gokudera-kun before but didn't feel as guilty then. I'm even more confused now._

"Tsuna…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go that far. It's just that my feelings for you are so strong that it's a bit overwhelming. I used to only care about baseball…but ever since we started this Mafia Game, my views have changed. You're the most important thing in my life now, and the thought of losing you to someone else hurt me. So, before I fall even further in love with you, I need to know how you feel about me," Yamamoto said with his back still turned to Tsuna.

Tsuna gulped and rubbed the back of his head nervously. There was so much pressure on him all of a sudden! He didn't blame Yamamoto for feeling that way, but he wasn't sure what the right answer would be. His intuition was telling him that he should be honest. So, he took a deep breath and wore his heart on his sleeve.

"I love you, Yamamoto. I really do. I don't know when it started, but at some point I stopped looking at you as my friend with the amazing smile and started seeing you as my friend with the amazing smile, sexy body, and kind personality. I'm deeply honored that you feel so strongly for me and I hope that this doesn't ruin our friendship. However, you're right to stop this before we got too far. I do have feelings for other people and it wouldn't be fair to any of you if I acted without thinking. I'm sorry, Yamamoto, if I hurt you."

Tsuna waited with bated breath for the taller boy's response. _Have I pushed him away? Please, don't hate me._

Then, Yamamoto laughed and was his usual light-hearted self. He turned to face Tsuna and smiled warmly.

"It's fine Tsuna. Thanks for telling me how you feel. Now that I know there's still hope for me, I feel like I can do anything. I think we should take a break. How about you go meet up with the little guy? I'll catch up in a minute."

Tsuna released a sigh of relief and nodded. He watched as Yamamoto gathered his bat and jacket before turning and jogging a little downstream. He figured that he either needed to use the facilities or wanted to wash his face and cool his head. The brunette did as Yamamoto suggested and started to walk back to the clearing where Reborn and the others were waiting. As he trudged up the hill, he felt a tingling in the back of his neck and stopped short. Something was wrong…

"Oh no! I forgot what Reborn said! We weren't supposed to separate!" he cried out in horror.

**With Yamamoto…**

"Well, Yama-chan…I'm impressed. You put up a bigger fight than that feisty Storm Guardian. You actually made me sweat! Having to chase my prey does make me much more excited though, so that was a mistake on your part," Kira said with a cruel smirk.

Yamamoto struggled to get out of the grip the crazy red-head had on him. Kira had finally caught up to him, shoved him to the ground, and pinned him down. He shivered in disgust as the perverted man with the peacock hair style playfully bit his earlobe.

"Get off me!" he snapped and tried to push the freak away.

"Aww…Yama-chan doesn't want to play anymore? Too bad, that's a shame. Guess I'll have to get to the main event then."

Kira finally released the tall teen and stood. Yamamoto was about to jump up and run away when he noticed the dark smoke quickly surrounding them. He found he couldn't move and choked as he tried to breathe something other than the black smog. He felt tears prick his eyes as darkness and cold took over him. His last conscious thought was…_Tsuna_, _I love you_.

When the darkness lifted, Yamamoto's shivering body lied in the fetal position at Kira's feet. Mukuro's brother grinned as he saw the evidence of his evil deed: a black beaded bracelet on Yamamoto's left wrist.

"That was fun. Game score: Kira-3, Vongola-0. Soon, I'll have you back by my side dearest brother. When I destroy that pathetic Vongola brat, you'll be mine again and the world will fall to its knees before us."

His menacing laughter rang throughout the forest as he sauntered away.

**Moments later… **

Tsuna stumbled across his friend, and fell to his knees sobbing.

"No, Yamamoto! I'm so sorry!"

**And so, there goes another Guardian! Poor Yamamoto! I think everyone's starting to see the pattern…yes? Well, I am so excited for the next chapter where the pattern will be broken! Tsuna's pissed…hehehehe. So next time: it's Hibari's turn! But will Tsuna's strongest guardian fall for Kira's trap? Or will an unexpected person arrive just in time to interfere? Stay tuned and please review!**


	14. Day Three: Hibari

**Hey everyone! I'm back again so soon! It's good though because the sooner I get to the big finale, the more excited I get! I have been eager to write this chapter for a while and I'm sure a lot of the Hibari/Tsuna fans have been frustrated by the lack of romantic scenes between them. THAT CHANGES NOW!!! So hold on tight, it's gonna be a bumpy ride! **

**Thanks to my amazing reviewers! I love you guys so much! And Lemony Goddess…your reviews are so opinionated! LOL. Close your eyes during the 1827 minutes!**

**Guarding Tsuna**

**Chapter 14**

**Day Three: Hibari**

**The next day…**

Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Ryohei were huddled together whispering and periodically glancing over at Tsuna with worried expressions on their serious faces. Tsuna bit the inside of his cheek and fought the urge to snap at them. He knew they were talking about his training session with Hibari today. The second after Reborn had announced that Hibari was his teacher for the day…the others had protested rather loudly, claiming that Hibari would torture him and then bite him to death. They had fallen silent when the Guardian in question had turned to them with his demonic aura swirling around him and his tonfas out in preparation. Tsuna had fought the shivers going down his spine and the tears pooling at the corners of his eyes. _Hibari-san is scary! They're right to be worried…I'm going to die!_

Reborn of course, the black-hearted monster, simply said, "If you die while training with Hibari then we'll know you weren't fit to be the leader of the Vongola family. Prove that you are worthy Dame-Tsuna or you can kiss your life goodbye."

Tsuna's eyes widened in horror as Hibari smirked before turning and roughly dragging him away. He glanced over his shoulder and felt even more terrified as he noticed Reborn instructing the others to dig a grave site for him. _Reborn's actually serious! They're digging my grave! Somebody save me!_

"Don't worry herbivore…I'm not going to kill you," Hibari surprised him by speaking.

Tsuna felt a great wave of relief wash over him as he replied, "Oh, of course not! I know you wouldn't actually bite me to death."

The next words out of Hibari's mouth were less comforting, especially because there was a frightening twinkle in Hibari's icy blue-grey eyes, "No, I'm not going to kill you…but if you happen to be too weak to handle my training then you may die anyway."

Tsuna let the tears stream down his face. _I'M GOING TO DIE!_

**Meanwhile, with Chrome and Mukuro…**

"Mukuro-sama, why did you tell Reborn not to wait for us? Where are we going?" the girl with the eye patch asked the person in her head.

Mukuro narrowed his eyes and answered briefly, "We're meeting someone."

Chrome tilted her head slightly to the left and said cutely, "Oh, so who are we meeting?"

Mukuro did not respond for a dew minutes and Chrome worried that she had crossed the line. Mukuro had been acting very distant for the past few days and she knew it had something to do with his brother's return. She understood that he was a mysterious person who hid behind illusions and perverted comments, but Mukuro was actually afraid to share his thoughts and feelings with others. Chrome noticed the way he acted around their Boss lately, warm and happy, and hoped that Boss chose him as his soul mate so that Mukuro would not close up even more. If Mukuro couldn't open up to Chrome, the one he shared a body with, then he'd surely open up to the person he loved. Right?

Chrome continued to walk the path through the woods which Mukuro had instructed her to follow until she reached a clearing full of daffodils. She had learned to simply obey no matter how strange his orders were, but there was something in his tone which piqued her curiosity. Plus, his reluctance to answer her made it clear that he was rather preoccupied. She then came upon the clearing and walked up to the edge of it, but did not enter.

"We're here Mukuro-sama. What should I do next?" she said.

Mukuro seemed to snap out of his reverie as he sighed and answered wearily, "Let's switch now. Take a nap while I'm busy. I think it's best if you don't know what's going on."

Chrome pursed her lips slightly and nodded. Mukuro was starting to scare her but she trusted him completely and did as told. They switched: Chrome's feminine curves and short stature changing into a taller, thin masculine figure with blue hair tied up in the shape reminiscent of a pineapple. Mukuro breathed in and out deeply, enjoying the smell of fresh air and the lovely sight of the field of yellow flowers. It would have been much nicer if he was there just to relax and take in the scenery. But Mukuro frowned as he sensed the approach of the person he had come to see. Mukuro stepped into the field and crossed slowly until he met up with the person in the middle.

"So, tell me, how long have you been a part of my brother's collection?" he broke the awkward silence stretching between them.

The person stared into his mismatched eyes and Mukuro was surprised to feel genuine pity for the poor soul. He knew his brother better than anyone…knew how cold and darkness followed him everywhere he went. Mukuro had been where this person was now. Kira was a selfish person who took everything from anyone he could sink his claws into…until there was nothing left to give…and he never gave back.

Mukuro was the only person who had survived this torment, and it was only because his brother was obsessed with him to the point of letting him keep one ounce of humanity left. It was like the opposite of Pandora's Box…Kira pushed all of the darkness and evil of the world into his toys, and took all of the goodness out. But lucky for Mukuro, Tsunayoshi gave him an ounce of hope…and he had treasured that warmth and refused to let it go. Tsunayoshi saved him. Tsunayoshi was his world, and he was determined not to let Kira tear his world apart. Never again.

"It's been so long since I've been able to be in control of myself. I don't even know what day it is so I'm not sure how long he's had me. Thank you for releasing me…even if it is only for a little while," the person spoke softly, afraid their voice would shatter the illusion Mukuro had created around the field to shield them from Kira's power.

This was the reason for Mukuro declining Hibari's demand to speak the day before. He had told Chrome to capture Hibari's interest long enough by sparring so that the prefect would not know what Mukuro was up to. As much as he enjoyed teasing the Cloud Guardian, he couldn't afford to waste excess energy.

Mukuro nodded and said, "I can only hold this for another ten minutes at the most. Tell me everything you know about Kira and what he is planning. And in return, I promise I will give someone a message from you."

The person eagerly agreed and spent the next ten minutes explaining in detail all that they knew regarding Kira's plans. Mukuro was furious and upset by the end of it and had to struggle to maintain his composure. If he let his emotions get the best of him, the shield would fall and Kira would know what they were doing.

"Alright, thank you. You've been very helpful. Now, what do you want me to tell him?" Mukuro said politely.

Fighting back tears, the person said, "Tell him that I love him, and that I'm sorry. I've been such a fool. I know he didn't mean to hurt me and I know Kira took control over him, and I forgive him. Please, I beg you…make sure he doesn't fall into Kira's hands! I just want him to be safe!"

Mukuro felt compassion and patted a shoulder gently in sympathy, "I swear to you…I will not let my brother have him."

"Thank you," was said, and a sigh of relief.

"No… thank you, Sasagawa Kyoko."

**Meanwhile,with Tsuna and Hibari…**

Tsuna panted and held a hand to his side. His lungs burned and the cuts and bruises all over his body made him wince in pain as he crashed down on his butt. Hibari was a slave driver, but Tsuna honestly couldn't be surprised. So far he had managed to stay alive, but the exhaustion was catching up to him so it was only a matter of time until his body completely gave out.

"Hi…bari…san," he gasped.

The raven-haired leader of Namimori Middle's Disciplinary Committee turned to look at him. He scowled as he noticed how worn out the small brunette seemed even though they had only been practicing for about two hours. He was severely disappointed and wondered what he had to do to get Tsunayoshi to take this seriously and do his best.

"What?" he snarled.

Tsuna flinched at the venom seeping through Hibari's tone, but bravely continued, "Can we take a break? I don't think I can stand up…"

He had expected Hibari to fly into a fit of rage, but got instead a sigh and roll of the eyes as the prefect collapsed down beside him. Tsuna blinked. Was it just him or did Hibari seem slightly preoccupied? Maybe even bored?

"Um, Hibari-san? Are you upset with me? I know I'm weak and useless…but I am trying my best," he spoke hesitantly.

It was like prodding a sleeping tiger with a stick, and praying the beast wouldn't snap awake and tear him to shreds.

Hibari replied in a surprisingly docile manner, "But you're not trying your best. I've seen you fight before…and every time you win I wonder why you can't always be that powerful."

Tsuna's light brown eyes widened and he gasped. _Did Hibari just compliment me…in a round-about way?_

He blushed and shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. If I knew how to be that strong all the time then I would be. I hate having to rely on others to protect me because I'm so weak. I hate seeing my friends get hurt because I can't keep them safe. It's like everything I touch turns to ash and everyone I care about is in constant danger."

Tsuna's shoulders slumped as he felt all of his heaviest thoughts and concerns weighing down on him. _Even though I have so many people around me who care and want to help…I still feel so alone._

Suddenly, warmth surrounded him and his blush darkened as he realized Hibari had just gently draped his jacket across his shoulders. Tsuna held back a nervous giggle as he glanced over and their eyes met. Hibari eyes looked so intense, and Tsuna felt overwhelmed under that piercing stare. It was strange because Tsuna knew that Hibari wasn't angry, but the older boy wasn't exactly pleased either. Could it be…was Hibari concerned? _No way, that's stupid!_ _Why would Hibari be worried over me? It's not like he…_

Tsuna's bottom lip began to tremble as he remembered that brief kiss Hibari had forced on him a few days ago **(A/N: refer back to chapter 5!).**

"Th-th-thank you!" he squeaked.

He felt overheated as Hibari smirked sexily and practically purred, "For a weak herbivore…you're really cute. It makes me want to eat you up."

Tsuna nearly fainted when Hibari leaned over and gently bit and licked the side of his neck. Hibari laved at his collarbone; moving across gently before leaving a quick succession of butterfly kisses in his path. It earned him breathy little noises, wet with need and desire. His hands moved, pulling gently at Tsuna's collar, wishing Tsuna would be free of his shirt _right now_. But Hibari was wise enough not to push the smaller male into doing something he wasn't ready for. So for now, he would just focus on _tasting_ him.

Tsuna's mouth parted into a whine, which made Hibari grin with pride. The elder teen swooped down to his chest, unbuttoning that pesky shirt as he went. Tsuna was oblivious to everything except for that moist heat coming from Hibari's mouth. That tongues, those lips, that breath…were driving him crazy, and when that tongue dipped teasingly down into his navel, he cried out wantonly, arching his back. Tsuna was in heaven, but there were thoughts beginning to buzz in his skull. He tried to push them away and simply enjoy the moment, but they were stubborn and refused to leave until he came to his realization.

_I love how Hibari makes me feel. He's scary sometimes, but there's kindness in his eyes when he looks at me. He's strong and loves to fight, so I know he can handle whatever is thrown at us if I become the Tenth Vongola boss. He could protect me when I'm weak, and we could fight side by side when I'm strong. But something's wrong here. Something's missing. Hibari is my cloud Guardian…and even though he seems to have feelings for me, he hates to be tied down. What if he can't commit to me completely? I have so many doubts…_

Hibari broke through his inner monologue as he kissed Tsuna without heat or passion, but instead it was gentle and warm. Hibari was like a different person as he ran his fingers through Tsuna's wild hair and smiled lovingly down at him. Tsuna's heart raced and his head spun. _Is this really Hibari? He looks gorgeous when he smiles! I'm so glad he's showing this other side to him. All of my doubts have disappeared._

Just as Hibari opened his mouth to speak, he heard something and changed back into his usual self. He let go of Tsuna and stood up abruptly. His face was indifferent, but Tsuna could see the tension in his posture.

"Hibari-san? What is it?" he asked with trepidation.

Hibari frowned and responded curtly without looking at him, "Go back to practicing with the tonfas. Do the moves I showed you one hundred times. When I get back I expect your form to be perfect. If I'm not back by then…call that infant."

Tsuna's eyes narrowed and he spoke firmly, "He's nearby isn't he? Then Hibari-san, I won't let you leave. I've already let him take Onii-san, Gokudera-kun, and Yamamoto…I won't let him get you too. Stay here with me. Or better yet, we'll both go."

Hibari turned and glared at Tsuna, "No! Stay here and do what I told you! If you follow me I swear I will bite you to death!"

Tsuna stiffened and paled at the fierceness in Hibari's voice. It was rare to see the prefect so flustered. _He's serious. But if I let him go…Rokudo Kira might get him. What should I do?_

Suddenly, Hibari's angry aura evaporated, and he smiled sadly at Tsuna as he said softly, "I know this is hard for you Tsunayoshi, but please do as I say. Stay here …and I'll be back."

Tsuna's eyes watered and he glared down at his feet, "Do you promise you'll be back? Will you swear he won't get you?"

Hibari seemed taken aback for a minute as Tsuna's solemn eyes focused intently on him. He then recovered and nodded.

"I swear I won't let him get me and I WILL be back."

Tsuna brightened at his words and smiled, "I believe you. While you're doing that, I promise I'll do my best here. I'm going to be strong Hibari-san…for you and everyone else I care about."

Hibari smirked and added, "If you become strong enough to stand a chance against me…I'll even let you off the hook for being in love with those other herbivores. I know you'll choose me anyway."

Tsuna shivered and laughed nervously as Hibari turned and walked away. _I was wondering when he'd mention that! I knew he was angry that I like the others too!_

Hibari was a foot from entering a thicker part of the forest and leaving Tsuna's sight when Tsuna called out, "Hibari-san!"

Hibari stopped and glanced over at him with a raised eyebrow.

Tsuna blushed and shouted, "I love you!"

Hibari stood there in silence for a few seconds until he turned and ran into the woods. The second he was out of view, he smiled and was glad Tsuna didn't see him blush. If that small herbivore had seen him like that, he would never live it down. _I love you too…Tsuna._

**A few minutes later, with Hibari…**

Hibari glared fiercely at the smirking maniac with red peacock hair. It hadn't taken him long to find the bastard leaning against a broken tree beside a rapid-moving river. Kira was smug, as if he knew Hibari would actually seek him out. The prefect's hands were clenched around his favorite pair of tonfas, seeing as he had lent Tsuna a spare to use for training. He was dying to crack the freak's skull wide open and wipe that annoying look off his face. However, there was something about the man which ignited a spark of caution in him. He was no ordinary opponent; no juvenile delinquent Hibari was used to biting to death on a daily basis. Rokudo Kira was the worst kind of evil…and his presence alone made the hairs on Hibari's arms stand at their height.

"It's about time you got here Kyouya-kun. Were you having too much fun with Tsunayoshi-chan to come and visit me?" Kira said lightly.

Hibari's response was short and to the point, "What do you want?"

Kira pouted, clearly disappointed with Hibari's refusal to carry on meaningless chit-chat before they got serious, "You're no fun! I've been anxious to speak to you alone since I found out that you are my brother's favorite playmate. You should show me what's so interesting about you."

Hibari growled, "I'll show you how fun I can be when I bite you to death."

Kira's blue eyes sparkled and he finally stood straight as he left the tree he had been leaning lazily against.

"Oh, so you're a pervert at heart? Now I see why he likes you! My dear Ku-chan can't resist a puppy with some bite in him! Why don't you try and bite me then?"

Hibari didn't answer verbally, but chose to run towards him and swing his deadly tonfas with frightening speed. His accuracy was spot on, but Kira was a few seconds faster, and was able to dodge each hit successfully. Hibari grew even more furious as realized that Kira was teasing him and laughing as he tried his best to land just one hit on the peacock. He began to sweat and breath became harder to come by as time wore on. Hibari got the sinking feeling that he was fighting a losing battle. Kira was simply playing with him…and the second he got serious, Hibari knew he would be in trouble.

Kira suddenly went on the offensive and threw an arm out just as Hibari was charging him again. His arm knocked into the Cloud Guardian's chest and the force of the hit pushed Hibari several feet away where he landed hard into a tree before collapsing to the ground. He writhed on the ground, gasping and fighting back the urge to scream. The last time he'd felt so weak and helpless was when he fought…

His eyes widened in horror as hundreds of sakura petals fell from the sky and landed softly on top of him. He went into convulsions and his skin turned red as a high fever took over his trembling body. Sweat poured out of him and his mind grew hazy. _Damn Kira…how did he know my weakness?_

"This seems familiar doesn't it? My cute little brother has taken advantage of your dislike of sakura flowers. He's so sly, isn't he? I suppose he got that from me. I wonder Kyouya-kun…how much has Mukuro told you? About himself…about me…about US."

Hibari's body finally went limp and he gasped for air as the petals began to disappear. Even with his mind and body exhausted from the torture, he still heard Kira's chilling words and feared the meaning behind them. The way he spoke of Mukuro…his younger brother…sounded so _wrong. _

"Shut up pervert. Just tell me what you want or leave," Hibari managed to snarl.

"Well, I suppose there's plenty of time for us to get acquainted later. Now then, I'll get to the point since you're so anxious to know what I'm here for," Kira said and winked playfully at the pale teen.

"I'm asking you to join me Hibari Kyouya…and if you refuse, I will just ass you to my collection by force. However, I'd like to have you on my side willingly so that's why I'm asking you first. You have ten seconds to decide before I take you anyway."

Hibari answered without a second thought, "Screw you."

Kira surprised him by laughing hysterically and wagging his finger as if to say he'd been a bad boy.

When the red-haired man calmed down, he set his serious gaze on Hibari, who had finally got to his feet, and said, "I'm very disappointed Kyouya-kun…but not surprised. I had a feeling you were a stubborn hard-ass…but I didn't know you were a fool."

Hibari took a deep breath and raised his tonfas as he got into his stance. His body was weak and his hands and knees quaked despite his internal pleading for them to stop. If he was going down, then he would sure as hell go down fighting. _I'm sorry Tsunayoshi…it looks like I won't be able to keep my promise to you._

Kira pouted and pointed his right index finger straight at Hibari, "Now you'll just be another piece in my collection. What a pity."

Dark smoke formed behind him and Hibari's heart twisted in pain as he realized what was about to happen. The smoke crept towards him and he resisted the urge to turn and run away. His body wouldn't obey him even if he did try so he simply stood tall and stared impassively at the darkness threatening to eat him alive. It was inches away from him when he gave in and shut his eyes. He didn't want to be afraid, so he tried to think of good things, such as Tsunayoshi's smile and the feel of his soft lips.

But then, the darkness was gone in a flash. The familiar crack of a whip followed by an outraged yell made him open his eyes. He nearly burst into tears of joy at the sight of his former teacher and somewhat-friend Dino Cavallone with his whip wrapped tightly around Kira's arm. Dino glanced over at Hibari and grinned in that care-free manner of his which normally pissed Hibari off, but today was very welcome.

"Hey, Kyouya! Thought I'd drop by and say hello since I was in the neighborhood."

Hibari's eye twitched but he smirked and tried to appear nonchalant, "Yeah right Cavallone, this is hardly your neighborhood. You live in Italy and this is Japan, idiot."

Dino laughed and replied, "You got me there!"

The light moment was shattered by Kira, whose chilling laughter brought frowns to their faces.

"So you're the head of the Cavallone family? I've heard so much about you! You must be something special if you managed to save that pathetic excuse of a family from debt! Tell me, did you honestly think you could interrupt me and get away with it?" Kira smiled at Dino, but his blue eyes were swirling with anger.

Dino's subordinates tensed in unison from their place behind him, desperate to kill the smirking devil who had just insulted their family and their precious leader. Romario put up a hand to calm them and they immediately obeyed.

Dino's voice was icy as he said, "Rokudo Kira, I will not allow you to harm anyone else in my little brother's family. Kyouya is my troublesome student, so of course I had to intervene. Just go back to wherever you came from and leave them alone. I will personally deal with you if you do not heed my warning."

Kira scoffed and laughed Dino's words off, "Big words you've got there Cavallone. But do you have the guts to back them up? The Arcobaleno promised me a fight with the Vongola brat…and I intend to see him follow through. I'll let Kyouya-kun go for now, but I will just come back and get him another time. The Master of Games always wins…and you're all fools for thinking you'd stand a chance against me."

Dino's whip dropped to the floor as Kira disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

"Well, he's really dramatic, isn't he?" the blonde quipped as he looked at Hibari with a relieved smile.

Hibari smirked, "Like that entrance of yours wasn't just as dramatic?"

Dino huffed and whined playfully, "Is this how you thank your rescuer?"

Hibari scowled at him and reluctantly allowed the clumsy idiot to help him walk back to where a worried Tsuna was waiting for him. They bickered the entire way, and Hibari forced the overwhelming fear gathering in the pit of his stomach to stay down.

"Dino…"he said quietly.

They were a few feet away from the edge of the woods before the clearing and Hibari's anxious voice caused Dino to stop. A clear expression of confusion came across the blonde's face as he waited to hear Hibari out.

"That man is too strong. I couldn't even land one hit on him, and he was just messing around. When he fights Tsunayoshi…he'll be serious. Tsunayoshi can't beat him. If they fight…he will definitely be killed."

Dino didn't even try to change his mind. He was worried too…because his hand was throbbing from the strength he had to use to hold Kira's arm in the grip of his whip. Rokudo Kira was a monster, and Dino had a bad feeling about Tsuna's upcoming fight.

**Meanwhile, with Tsuna…**

Tsuna had finished the hundredth time practicing the move and was sure he had it down pact. He was determined to keep his promise to Hibari. _I have to be at my strongest all of the time! I refuse to lose to Rokudo Kira. He has hurt too many people I love to get away with it. As bad as Mukuro used to be…he was nowhere near as evil as Kira is._

"Tsunayoshi, you've gotten stronger."

Tsuna gasped and pivoted to see who had snuck up behind him. He sighed in relief as he recognized the very same person he had just been thinking of.

"Ah, Mukuro…it's just you. You surprised me!" he laughed.

Mukuro's eyes darkened slightly as he nodded and glanced over his shoulder absentmindedly, "Yes, it's just me."

Tsuna's spirit dampened as he heard the strange tone his normally light-hearted Mist Guardian used. _He's acting differently. And it's weird that I didn't sense him earlier. What's going on?_

"Mukuro what-?"

The brunette was cut off as Mukuro surged forward and claimed his lips in a desperate kiss. He wasn't even able to wrap his head around it before the kiss was over. He swore he heard Mukuro whisper something in his ear, but when he opened his eyes, Mukuro was gone. Tsuna trembled and glanced around, panicking. His heart was pounding and he had lost all color in his face.

"Mukuro! Please come back! Don't go! PLEASE!" he yelled.

He dropped to his knees and sobbed. This was the position Dino and Hibari found him in ten minutes later.

When asked what was wrong, all Tsuna said was, "Mukuro's gone."

As Tsuna was tucked into bed by his worried Guardians, Mukuro's haunting words repeated in his head.

_Goodbye, Tsunayoshi…I love you._

**(Blows nose with tissue) SO SAD! Ah! Mukuro-sama finally gets to kiss Tsuna…only to disappear! Well, I'm sure everyone can see why I was dying to write this chapter. Man was it long! I hope it was good and that the Hibari fans are pleased. Next time: Ryohei's turn! But how can Tsuna focus on his EXTREME training if he's too busy worrying about Mukuro? And how about Kyoko? Did Mukuro give Ryohei her message?**


	15. Day Four: Ryohei

**That last chapter was a doozy wasn't it? So this is where things go crazy and this story becomes even more AU-ish. Thanks for sticking with me and those of you who review…thank you so much!**

**VERY IMPORTANT: Please vote in my new poll on my profile! I need to know your opinions as to whether I should end this story rated T or raise it to M. **

**Guarding Tsuna**

**Chapter 15**

**Day Four: Ryohei**

**The next day…**

Tsuna sobbed into his pillow the entire night, until he passed out from exhaustion. No one was allowed into his room except for Reborn, who was surprisingly kind just by staying with him and not speaking. Tsuna appreciated it, because the last thing he needed was someone telling him what he already knew in his heart. _Mukuro left to protect me. He sacrificed himself to save me…and now he's with his brother, Kira. It's all my fault…_

The following morning, Tsuna was dragged by his worried friends to the woods, but his mind was absent. He was snapped out of his reverie by the voices of his friends, which were increasing in volume.

"Reborn-san, how is he supposed to focus on training when he's too preoccupied with worrying about that perverted pineapple?" Gokudera asked.

Yamamoto added, "And shouldn't we be out there looking for him? Isn't he in danger as long as he's with that man?"

Reborn responded coolly, "Mukuro will be fine for now. His brother will not hurt him. Mukuro knew that Tsuna's training so far has not been sufficient for him to stand a chance against Kira, so he was smart enough to give himself up and buy us more time."

Tsuna felt something inside him snap and he glared at his tutor, "Reborn, we are not leaving him with that psycho. Yamamoto's right…we need to go rescue him now."

The atmosphere became frosty and tense as a battle between wills began between the two. Tsuna normally would have backed down right away, but he was following his heart rather than his head.

Reborn firmly said, "No, you must continue your training. It is Ryohei's turn today so go with him now."

Tsuna shook his head, "What's the point? Gokudera-kun's right! I can't focus on that when I know that Mukuro is out there! You don't understand!"

Reborn calmly inserted a question, "And what don't I understand?"

Tsuna's Guardians observed the exchange warily. Gokudera wanted to support his beloved Tenth, but he knew that Reborn had a point. Yamamoto felt anxious as he recalled the cold darkness he'd been swallowed by when Kira added him to his collection. Ryohei was anxious because he'd been looking forward to training with Tsuna, but he was concerned for Mukuro's well-being too. The only one besides Reborn who appeared composed was Hibari. He had on his mask of indifference, but his mind raced with panicked thoughts. Even though Dino had saved Hibari from joining Kira's collection, the prefect had still been touched by the dark smoke and felt Kira's evil.

Tsuna's brow furrowed and he clenched his fists as he stared into Reborn's black eyes, "You weren't there when he disappeared. You didn't hear the emptiness in his voice or see how dull his eyes had become. I failed at protecting my friends, and I swore I wouldn't let Rokudo Kira hurt anyone else I love…but I still let Mukuro slip right through my fingers."

Tsuna's eyes watered and he struggled to keep his voice even, "You don't understand what it's like to know that someone you love is gone because you were too weak to save them. So don't you dare tell me to forget about him and focus on my training. You don't understand that without him…I have nothing left to fight for!"

The words had already escaped his mouth before he could stop them. The silence which followed was unbearable as Tsuna covered his face, horrified by what he'd just done. His friends, Guardians, and pieces of his heart all were heartbroken because he'd made it sound as if they were unimportant.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it," he whispered.

Suddenly, Ryohei stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Tsuna dropped his hands from his face and met his older friend's eyes. There was no hurt, anger, or disappointment in those bright grey eyes…only compassion, understanding, and love.

"Come on Sawada, let's go train. If he means that much to you, then you have to get stronger… so that you can protect him to the EXTREME!" Ryohei grinned.

Reborn's eyes shone with approval as Tsuna smiled and allowed Ryohei to lead him away from the others.

As they disappeared from view, Gokudera turned to Reborn and said forlornly, "Why was the idiot Lawn Head the only one able to get through to Juudaime?"

The Arcobaleno smirked and answered, "Because he is his Sun Guardian…and only the brightest ray of light can break through the darkest of clouds."

Yamamoto and Gokudera nodded, seemingly relieved that Tsuna was returning to normal, but Hibari's frown deepened. Yamamoto and Gokudera walked a few paces away and began to earnestly train. Reborn focused his attention on Hibari, whose intense gaze threatened to burn a hole through his head.

"Yes, Hibari Kyouya?" he said.

Hibari glanced in the direction Ryohei and Tsuna had gone before he turned back to Reborn, "Infant, you know Tsunayoshi better than anyone…did he mean what he said? Has he chosen Rokudo Mukuro as his soul mate?"

There was no reply for a few seconds and Hibari shifted his weight as his nerves began to build. But then Reborn said, "Tsuna is confused and overwhelmed. He spoke what was in his heart at the time. It doesn't mean that he has already chosen Mukuro, so there is no need for you to worry."

Hibari snorted, as if to say that he wasn't concerned, but Reborn knew better as he saw the tension in the prefect's body evaporate. Reborn smirked and tilted his hat to cover his face. Tsuna and his Guardians were so easy to read, which always provided him with much amusement.

The rustling of leaves caught their attention and Hibari grabbed his tonfas instinctively. Then a familiar blonde stumbled out of the bushes and tripped over a log, falling to the ground face-first. Hibari sighed in exasperation, but a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Reborn would have rolled his eyes at his former pupil's antics, but he knew why Dino had come and had no time for humor. The Cavellone boss quickly got to his feet and brushed leaves and dirt off of his blue jeans and black jacket. His eyes were apologetic, but serious as they glanced at Hibari before meeting Reborn's.

"Dino, what have your men learned?" the infant

The tattooed Italian explained, "It has been confirmed that Rokudo Kira now has Mukuro in his possession, but his base has not yet been found. Kira left a letter taped to a jewelry box outside of the Tamaso mansion. The letter says that he still intends to compete with Tsuna on the scheduled day and that he has no intention of returning his brother even if he loses. Inside the jewelry box was a single black-beaded bracelet with a small piece of paper beneath it. It said: To Kyouya."

Hibari's eyes widened and his hands went limp, dropping his precious weapons. Dino gave him a sympathetic look but turned back to Reborn.

Reborn's eyes narrowed and he asked, "And what of Mukuro? There is something more you're not telling me."

Dino gulped nervously and folded his arms across his chest as he said, "The Ninth wants to speak with you right away. Something terrible has happened…and I'm not sure it's best to say it in front of Kyouya."

Hibari growled, "If it concerns Tsunayoshi and Rokudo Mukuro…then I want to hear it."

Dino arched an eyebrow, surprised by Hibari's interest in his nemesis, but one look into Hibari's determined eyes ended his hesitance.

"Late last night, Rokudo Kira broke into the Vendicare prison…and stole Mukuro's body."

The silence was deafening. Hibari's eyes widened and he felt sick to his stomach. Was there no stopping that mad man?

Reborn asked, "What about Dokuro Chrome?"

Dino's eyes darkened, "She is in a secret facility on life support. Kira ripped Mukuro out of her and left her to die without those illusionary organs."

The Arcobaleno trembled with rage for a minute until he seemed to regain control of his temper, "When Tsuna is done training with Ryohei…I will speak to the Ninth. This situation has gotten out of hand. Rokudo Kira must be dealt with permanently."

* * *

**Meanwhile, with Tsuna and Ryohei…**

They were out of breath and yet they kept moving. Punch, kick, dodge, pivot, jab, try to breathe. Rinse and repeat. Blood dripped down a side of Ryohei's face and Tsuna's body was littered with bruises and scrapes from when he landed on the rough dirt. They had taken off their shirts a while ago and the sweat stuck to their skin as the Sun observed their sparring with interest. Tsuna had to admit, he felt more comfortable with Ryohei's fighting style than he had with Gokudera's or Yamamoto's. It most likely had to do with the fact that it did not require weapons. It was all physical and required strength, speed, stamina, and willpower.

Tsuna had not used his Hyper Dying Will Pills, for fear of seriously hurting his Sun Guardian again. He still remembered the loud crack he'd heard as he punched the Imposter-Ryohei and broke a rib. Back then, he hadn't known that Kira had taken over the boxer's body, and that any damage he caused, only affected the body once Kira left it.

Guilt had eaten him up as he realized what Ryohei had been through because of the Master of Games. Ryohei would never have been involved if he wasn't Tsuna's Guardian.

_All I do is hurt the ones I care about. Why would they want to be near me after seeing the disaster I bring? Why would they love someone like me…Dame-Tsuna?_

Ryohei's fist came into Tsuna's line of sight and he naturally caught it in one hand so that it stopped a few inches from his face.

"Good job! That was an EXTREME block!" the boxer shouted with an excited grin on his face.

Tsuna's heart pounded as he realized how close he had come to being knocked out. He released Ryohei's hand and watched as the scarred teen bent to tie his shoelaces. He knew that he should be listening as his friend spoke, but the words were ignored as his eyes focused on the muscles on Ryohei's arms, chest, and back that flexed along with his movements. The older male got to his feet and stretched his arms out towards the sky with his eyes closed and a wide smile injecting warmth into Tsuna's heart.

_Wow, Ryohei looks really hot without a shirt on. What would those muscles feel like if I touched them? Would his breath catch in his throat and his eyes widen in surprise as I wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders? And I remember how fiery and passionate his lips were as we kissed _**(A/N: refer back to chapter 9)**_. Would that spark between us ignite a wildfire if we went all the way?_

Tsuna jumped as Ryohei's loud voice boomed, "Yo, Sawada, let's take a break!"

The brunette nodded and shakily followed him to sit beneath a large tree on less rocky ground. Tsuna thanked him as Ryohei handed him a bottle of water. They drank the refreshing liquid in silence and stared out at the lovely scenery. Tsuna was glad that Ryohei for once did not seem in the mood to talk. Just having the Sun Guardian by his side made him feel more at ease and relaxed than he had been since before…

_Goodbye Tsunayoshi…I love you._

Tsuna gasped and covered his ears as his almond eyes widened with fear, "No!"

Ryohei raised an eyebrow and asked, "Sawada, what's wrong?"

The smaller body began to violently shake and the boxer moved closer to wrap a firm hug around it.

"Sawada, why are you shaking to the EXTREME?"

Tsuna hiccuped and raised his eyes to meet Ryohei's as he pleaded, "He's in my head, please make it stop!"

Ryohei frowned. He wasn't sure what to do. Tsuna had clearly slipped into a state of shock. How could he snap Tsuna out of it without hurting him or making it worse? The answer came to him as he heard a soft whimper and felt the boy tuck his head into Ryohei's neck. Hoping that he was doing the right thing, Ryohei went with his gut feeling, and tipped Tsuna's head up and gently kissed him.

When they separated, Tsuna's eyes had lost the crazed look in them and he smiled and whispered, "Thank you."

Ryohei replied cheerfully, "You are welcome to the EXTREME!"

Tsuna laughed, and the sound made butterflies flutter in Ryohei's stomach. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and blushed. Tsuna's smile faded and he became serious as he brought up the subject he'd been dreading.

"Onii-san, I need you to tell me about the first time you met Rokudo Kira. I have to beat him, so please tell me everything you know."

Ryohei paled and glanced down at his hands. Tsuna knew it would be hard for the boxer to have to relive that dreadful experience, but it was very important. The brunette gently placed his smaller hands on top of Ryohei's. Ryohei's hands turned and held onto Tsuna's for support. He raised his head and nodded solemnly.

"Ok Sawada, I'll tell you soon. I'm just not ready right now. But there is something else you should know."

Tsuna tilted his head slightly to the side and said hesitantly, "Okay?"

Ryohei sighed and gave him a sad look, "Yesterday, before Mukuro left, he came to where I was training and we talked."

* * *

**The previous day, with Ryohei…**

Ryohei got to his feet after doing his hundredth push-up and turned to get his bottle of water, only to bump into someone.

"Oops, sorry to the EXTREME!" he said loudly.

He felt kind of nervous as he realized that he had just bumped into Mukuro. The pineapple-haired illusionist did not respond to his apology and had a melancholy expression on his face. Ryohei barely knew Mukuro, but he did know that Mukuro's usual personality was nothing like the image before him.

"Sasagawa Ryohei, I have a message for you," Mukuro said mysteriously.

Ryohei chuckled as a way of hiding his unease, "Oh, from who?"

Mukuro's dual-colored eyes flashed with an unreadable emotion, but then he was back to a blank countenance as he said, "From your sister, Sasagawa Kyoko."

Ryohei stumbled back a few steps as if he had been socked in the jaw. His eyes were wide and wild with excitement.

"Where is she? You've spoken to her? Why couldn't she come herself? Is she still angry with me?" he questioned rapidly.

Mukuro shook his head and raised a hand to ask for silence. Ryohei stopped and took a deep breath before releasing.

Mukuro replied, "Your sister will not be able to see you by her own free will for now. I promise that very soon you will have her back, so please just be patient until then. As for her message… she said she's sorry and that she loves you. She forgives you and understands why you said those cruel things."

Ryohei tried to calm his swirling mind, but it was difficult to think straight, "So, she's not mad? And what do you mean that she can't see me by her own free will? You're not making sense to the EXTREME!"

Mukuro smiled and said, "The message has been delivered. You'll figure it out on your own eventually. Now then, I have to go."

The Mist Guardian only made it a few steps before Ryohei asked, "Where are you going?"

Mukuro stopped and turned to face the boxer with a strange glimmer in his eyes. If Ryohei didn't know better, he'd say that Mukuro was holding back tears.

"Back where I truly belong…Hell."

And in the blink of an eye, Mukuro was gone.

* * *

**Now, with Tsuna and Ryohei…**

Tsuna felt dizzy and wished he could just hide away in his room and sleep until everything went back to normal. His intuition was telling him that Kyoko could not come of her own free will…because she was part of Kira's collection. _That sick bastard._

"Onii-san, thank you for telling me. I'm glad that Kyoko-chan is ok and she knows it wasn't your fault," he said with a fake smile.

_I can't tell him that Kira has her. Mukuro probably knew that he wouldn't figure it out…so he must have known that he'd tell me or Reborn. _

"Yeah, I'm so relieved that she forgives me. I know she was part of that plan because she wants to protect me, so I forgave her. I was so worried when she disappeared though…and something about the way Mukuro talked made me feel uncomfortable to the EXTREME!" Ryohei said.

Tsuna was silent for the next forty minutes as they got back to training. He pushed away his concerns for Mukuro and Kyoko and focused on boxing. When he got back to Reborn and the others, he first had to apologize for earlier…and then he needed some answers. _Hold on Mukuro, I'll save you from that Hell. I swear, I'll get you back… with my Dying Will._

**Meanwhile…**

"That foolish boy got lucky the Cavallone showed up. No matter… I'll get him next time," Kira said.

The red-haired peacock sat upon his large burgundy leather couch and stared dreamily into the blazing fireplace. A limp body lied on his lap as he caressed the hair and face, even kissing a soft, pale hand from time to time.

"I wonder if Kyouya-kun enjoyed the gift I sent him. Oh, you should have seen his face when I had my smoke inches away from devouring him! I can see why you like him, such a pretty, stubborn thing…and that catchphrase was simply charming!"

Kira gently twirled a few strands of blue hair between his fingers and smiled lovingly, "You're still as beautiful as I remembered. And now you're mine again…forever. Isn't that right, my precious doll?"

Mukuro's eyes were glazed over as he replied, "Yes Master."

Kira laughed and his blue eyes sparkled, "Game score: Kira-4, Vongola-1. All I have to do is get Kyouya-kun and then it will be Game, Set, Match."

Mukuro could not speak, but in his mind he said, _Tsunayoshi…please save me._

**How was that? Yes, the meeting between Kira and Ryohei will be unveiled in the next chapter! It will be titled Day Five: The Nightmare Returns. Also, it will include Lambo as Tsuna's would-be trainer for the day. As expected, Lambo screws up and Tsuna is shot into the future. What he sees there will change EVERYTHING. Don't forget to vote ok? It's up to whether it stays rated T or goes into the lemony M section!  
**


	16. Day Five: Lambo and the Nightmare

Oh wow, it has been a long time since I've updated this story! I am so sorry! But as I always complain to you all, school keeps me busy. I closed one of the polls since the majority wants this story rating to move up to M for the last chapter. For those of you who were against it I am sorry but it won't be too hard core since I suck at writing lemons.

**Now on with the story! I think you all will enjoy this chapter since it answers a lot of questions (and brings up a few more). Please review! More reviews equals a happy me which in turn leads to faster updates.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn so please don't sue.**

**Warning: Yaoi and OOC-ness galore. This is practically an AU now.**

Guarding Tsuna

Chapter 16

Day Five: Lambo and the Nightmare

**Now, with Tsuna, Reborn, and the Guardians...**

Tsuna and his Guardians were silent as they followed Reborn to a denser part of the woods following a dirt path. The only one chattering away oblivious to the tense atmosphere was his Thunder Guardian. Five year-old Lambo was excited to have been brought along this time, and now he was raving about how he would soon defeat Reborn. (Reborn of course ignored him). Gokudera fought the urge to yell at the obnoxious cow-brat. Yamamoto smiled and seemed to pay attention to the little boy even though he was truly worrying about Tsuna. Ryohei was silent as he glanced around their surroundings and pondered the meaning behind Mukuro's mysterious words. Hibari blocked out the presence of everything except for Tsuna and stared at the brunette with a frown.

Tsuna was lost in his thoughts. He imagined himself standing in the middle of a broken bridge, split in three parts. Behind him were his friends pleading for him to come back to them. In front of him, stood Kira with Mukuro bound and unconscious in thorn-studded vines which scratched his fair skin and caused him to bleed. The gap between Tsuna and his friends was smaller than the one between him and the Rokudo brothers, but Tsuna knew that he had to make that giant leap in order to save his Mist Guardian. His intuition was screaming at him not to jump, because what lay ahead was darkness and pain. Tsuna was terrified, but he was determined not to abandon Mukuro. Mukuro may have done some bad things in the past, but he had redeemed himself over time.

Tsuna was not going to let the person he had feelings for become a martyr. He blushed as he realized how strong his feelings for Mukuro had become even though they hadn't spent much "alone time" together. _I really want to kiss him and hold him and tell him how much he means to me. But what about my feelings for the others? Yamamoto is kind and gentle with me, Gokudera-kun is loving and devoted, Kyoko's brother is passionate and warm, and Hibari-san..._

"Okay, so here is the plan for today," Reborn announced as he came to a stop in clearing full of daffodils.

Tsuna breathed in deeply the smell of fresh air and took in the sight of the field of yellow flowers. He was curious as to why Reborn would choose this spot for his training. He hoped they wouldn't destroy any of the flowers. Yellow was such a happy, pretty color. They reminded him of how he used to feel whenever he looked into Kyoko's eyes. _Kyoko-chan, I have to save her from Kira too. I can't believe that only a week ago I was still convinced that she was the only one for me. Now I have to choose one of my friends to be my soul mate. It's true that life can change in the blink of an eye._

Reborn continued explaining, "Today is that idiot cow's turn."

Gokudera immediately protested, "But Reborn-san, how can the Tenth train with that brat? The Ten Years Later bazooka only works for five minutes!"

Tsuna turned a puzzled glance down at his youngest Guardian who was kicking Gokudera in the shin and sticking his tongue out at him.

"Shut up Octopus! Lambo-san can train baka Tsuna!" he whined.

Gokudera's eye twitched and Yamamoto laughed while Ryohei looked amused that someone else had used his nickname for the Storm Guardian.

Reborn ignored their antics and replied, "If you had let me finish you would understand why Lambo is necessary right now. We will be using the bazooka, but not for the purposes of training as usual. Today is about gathering information. Dame-Tsuna will go to the future and find out as much as he can while the older version of him will be here with us. You Guardians should take advantage of the five minutes allowed and interrogate him. I have a feeling this will be very interesting."

Tsuna repeated, "Information gathering?"

Reborn smirked, "You'll see when you get there. You didn't really think your Thunder Guardian would be of any use to you did you? His "style" if you can call it that will not be included in the fight with Rokudo Kira."

Tsuna blanched at the thought of the fight. While he was glad that he wouldn't have to train today, he was still apprehensive about being sent to the future. What if he saw something he wasn't supposed to see yet? What if the future him was in the middle of something dangerous...or private? _What if I end up in bed with my soul mate? Do I really want to know right now who I am supposed to choose? I don't feel ready yet!_

Reborn's black eyes seemed to darken further as he said, "No matter what you see while you are there...you must not tell anyone from this time. The consequences could be disastrous. Do you understand?"

Tsuna nodded and sent his friends a shaky smile, "Well, I guess I'll see you guys in five minutes."

The second the words were out of his mouth, Reborn turned to Lambo and insulted him, "You mean nothing to me. You are a worthless fool and not worthy of being considered my rival. Go crawl into a hole and never come back."

Tsuna frowned at his tutor, "Reborn! That's too harsh!"

The five year old reacted accordingly and said, "To-le-rate!"

He then burst into tears and pulled out his bazooka. He aimed it at himself, but just as he was about to pull the trigger, Reborn shot Tsuna with a Dying Will bullet. The last thing Tsuna remembered seeing was pink puffy smoke as his body fell into the path of the bazooka. _I wish I had found out who my soul mate is._

* * *

**With Reborn and the Guardians...**

They all stared in awe at the figure who emerged from the pink smoke. The man had wild spiky brown hair, warm caramel eyes, and an adorable expression of confusion on his face. He was a petite man with a slim but attractive physique and appeared to be in his early to mid- 20's. He wore a navy blue buttoned shirt and black slacks. His tie was also black and had a silky shine to it which screamed, "expensive!" He had a gold watch and his shoes were made of sleek black leather. The Guardians were speechless. Reborn nodded in approval at the clearly matured Sawada Tsunayoshi...the tenth boss of the Vongola family.

"What happened? Am I dreaming? Reborn, why are you small again?" he questioned calmly.

Then he seemed to notice the group of teenagers and a five year old gaping at him. His eyes lit up with joy and amusement.

"Oh, I see. I must have been hit by the Ten Year bazooka. Wow, it's been so long since you all looked like this. I sometimes wish things could have stayed this way forever."

His expression became wistful and forlorn for a second before Reborn cut in,  
"Tsuna, we only have five minutes. Guardians, I told you to use your time well."

His words lit a metaphorical fire under them and they practically pounced on the poor man. He was hounded with questions and compliments and even Lambo kept asking him to play with him. He chuckled but held up a hand to ask for silence, which they immediately obeyed. Only Hibari stood away from the fray watching with an expressionless face.

"One question at a time please since we're running out of time," he commanded firmly, but politely.

The Guardians nodded and Gokudera quickly asked his question with a cute blush on his cheeks, "Tenth, am I your right hand man in the future?"

Tsuna laughed and gazed fondly at his Storm Guardian, "Of course you are...and so much more."

Gokudera's blush spread to his neck and he turned away to avoid jumping on his boss in lapse of judgment. He was so pleased to hear that the Tenth valued him as more than his right hand man.

Ignoring the daydreaming smoker, Yamamoto asked, "Yo Tsuna! Do I still play baseball ten years from now?"

He was smiling but Tsuna could see the anxiety in the swordsman's eyes. He wanted to be honest with his friend, but he didn't want to break Yamamoto's heart. It was too soon for sacrifices.

So, he lied, "Yes you do...and you are still amazing."

Yamamoto smiled and let out his signature carefree laugh. He seemed relieved with the response and believed Tsuna completely. Tsuna ignored the pang of guilt in his chest.

Ryohei was in his face a second later, grinning like a mad man and speaking in his booming voice, "Will you ever join my EXTREME boxing club?"

Tsuna seemed torn between laughing and sighing. He should have known Ryohei would not think of a serious question to ask. Still, his sunny disposition was infectious and Tsuna appreciated the warmth considering the dark situation he was dealing with in his own time. He wished he could stay a little bit longer and enjoy the beautiful scenery with his friends. Actually, now that he noticed, it seemed very familiar. When had he seen this field of yellow flowers before? And why did it make his heart ache?

His enthusiastic reply was forced, "I did for a while but then it got too extreme for me. But you and I still spar from time to time."

Ryohei pumped a fist into the air and cheered, "All right! EXTREME sparring!"

Tsuna was starting to dread his return as he counted the minutes in his head. As usual, Reborn knew what he was thinking, "Two minutes and forty seconds left."

Tsuna flinched and turned to face his Cloud Guardian, who had been eerily silent since he arrived. Their eyes locked, steely blue with warm brown, and Tsuna felt his heart clench. Oh yes, he remembered this field now. How could he have forgotten? He must have blocked it out. This was where Kira-

"Who is your soul mate?" Hibari asked.

It was the question Tsuna had known was coming but didn't expect it from him. The others listened attentively, also eager to know the answer. The Vongola leader's eyes widened and he blushed as he avoided looking into the skylark's fierce gaze.

"Answer or I'll bite you to death," Hibari growled.

Tsuna sighed, feeling defeated, and said, "Hibari-san, I'm not sure if it's a good idea to tell you now. But maybe it'd be better if you find out now so that you can prevent something terrible from happening."

The Guardians were holding their breath in anticipation.

"My soul mate is-"

POOF. Pink smoke filled the area where the future Tsuna had just been standing and the others groaned in frustration and disappointment. Out of the smoke stepped the younger version of Tsuna. His face was bright red, he had a dazed look in his eyes, and his hand was on his mouth. It was all very suspicious and the Guardians had curiosity building up inside. The brunette stared blankly into space, clearly in shock.

"Ciaossu Dame Tsuna. Remember, you cannot speak of what happened in the future," Reborn stated nonchalantly.

Tsuna could only shake his head. He was still trying to wrap his mind around what just happened. _Even if I wanted to tell them, I don't think I could. My tongue is tied and I feel dizzy._

Dying to pry some answers out of him but fearful of Reborn's wrath, Tsuna's friends were forced to bite their tongues. One person was so furious he could barely think straight. Hibari glared at the others and hated them for not asking the only important question when they'd had the chance. They truly were stupid herbivores! He was itching to bite them all to death but he held himself back. But then again, he had to wonder why he waited so long to speak up? Could it be he'd been afraid of what Tsuna's answer would be? Was he afraid of rejection? And why didn't Tsuna ask about Mukuro? Wasn't he curious as to the lack of the pervert's presence? Or was Mukuro only a distant memory to Tsuna because he wasn't there in the future? Whatever the case, Hibari had a bad feeling that the future did not hold pleasant things for any of them.

* * *

**Meanwhile, with TYL Tsuna...**

Tsuna was cut off mid-sentence as he returned to his proper time. He jumped in surprise as he realized that he was wrapped in a tight hug. He relaxed into the embrace as he recognized that familiar scent of his lover. As much as he wanted to enjoy the moment, he had to say what was on his mind.

"They wanted to know who my soul mate is," he mumbled into the firm chest.

He felt a hand gently rub circles on his back as the man replied, "And what did you say?"

Tsuna sighed and held back tears of regret, "Nothing. I stalled until time ran out. Do you think I made the right choice? Maybe if I told them, Kira wouldn't have been able to-"

"No. Haven't we been through this before? Things happened the way they were meant to. There's no point in wondering what if. You know that you would be dead right now if it wasn't for..." his lover trailed off with a sigh.

Tsuna sniffled and said, "I know. But it doesn't make the pain go away."

A few minutes later, Tsuna pulled away and rubbed the tears out of his eyes. He took a deep breath and smiled warmly at the other man.

"Feeling better now? How about we go to bed? We won't do anything, just sleep," his lover assured him.

Tsuna nodded and said, "Thank you."

The usual reply met his ears, "I love you."

And Tsuna felt guilty because he could never say the words back.

* * *

**Back with TYE Tsuna and the others...**

The group was in the process of leaving the field when Gokudera and Yamamoto exchanged a wary look. It was time to come clean.

"Wait, Reborn-san. There's something you need to know," Gokudera said.

The others stopped walking and stared at him expectantly. Yamamoto saw that Gokudera was too nervous to speak and bravely took over.

"Gokudera and I were talking this morning and we discovered that last night we had the same dream. Well, it was actually a nightmare...the same one Senpai had a few days ago."

Ryohei tensed and both Reborn and Hibari narrowed their eyes.

"This isn't a good sign. It's because you are both in his collection now," Reborn said.

There was no doubt about whose collection the Arcobaleno was speaking of.

Gokudera spoke quietly, "In the dream, neither of us could move. We had to watch Juudaime get shot by that freak. It was horrible."

He sent Tsuna an apologetic glance and then looked away as if ashamed. Yamamoto frowned and Ryohei turned pale. Hibari's hands curled into fists.

Tsuna broke the tense silence, "Reborn, am I going to die?"

Reborn scoffed, "Of course not. We just saw the future you."

Everyone released a sigh of relief, but then Reborn continued, "However, there is a chance that someone else might."

Lambo suddenly yanked on Tsuna's pant leg, gaining the frazzled teen's attention, and declared, "Don't worry baka Tsuna! Lambo-san will save you!"

Tsuna felt a rush of emotions as he collapsed to his knees and pulled the small boy into a hug. Tears poured down his face as he soaked up the comforting innocence the five year old provided.

"Thank you Lambo," he whispered.

The embarrassed boy nodded and squirmed to get away. Tsuna released him and began to walk out of the field ahead of the others. He was stopped by a hand on his shoulder and turned to face the person.

"Tsunayoshi...I'm only going to say this once so listen up," Hibari said quietly so that only Tsuna could hear him.

The brunette nodded and the prefect continued hesitantly, "I...I...I love you."

His blush was so adorable that Tsuna couldn't help but to smile. He opened his mouth to respond but then he felt a feather-light touch on his cheek. Since Hibari had his arms down at his sides, Tsuna immediately knew that the touch had not come from him. Hibari narrowed his eyes and wondered what was taking Tsuna so long to say the words back to him.

Tsuna's eyes began to water again as he apologized, "I'm sorry Hibari-san. I can't say the words right now. There's this feeling I can't explain. I could've sworn I felt him just now."

Hibari realized who he was talking about and sighed, "You mean Rokudo Mukuro."

Tsuna whispered, "Yes."

Hibari felt his heart start to freeze again as he stated coldly, "There's no point in choosing a dead man as your soul mate."

Tsuna stared at him, horrified, and yelled, "How could you say that? HE'S NOT DEAD!"

Gokudera and Yamamoto ran up to them and both glared at Hibari.

"What did you say to him asshole?" Gokudera demanded as he held protectively.

Hibari shrugged and turned to walk away, "The truth. It's not my fault if he can't handle it."

But inside, he felt guilty because he'd just hurt the only person he's ever loved.

**And that is all for this chapter! Wow it was the longest I've written yet I think. But that's to make up for lost time. I hope you all enjoyed! Please review and please continue to vote for who you want Tsuna to end up with. OH. And though it may seem as if Hibari is the "lover" mentioned in the future, that's not necessarily the case. Hehehehe. I'm certain if you look deep enough into the text you can start to figure it out. Next time: Ryohei finally tells the story of his first meeting with Kira, someone is freed from Kira's collection, and Mukuro makes his grand reappearance!**


	17. Day Six: Mukuro and the Reunion

**Hello again. I'm back quickly this time! My plot bunnies are being nice to me right now. So this story is going to start running towards the finish line from here on. More action! More romance! More drama! It's so exciting! Please review. Your reviews add fuel to the fire and encourage those plot bunnies to stick around. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn. **

**Warning: Boys in love with each other…yay! If you don't like then I feel sorry for you since you don't know what you're missing out on. **

**Guarding Tsuna**

**Chapter 17**

**Day Six: Mukuro and the Reunion**

**The previous night, at Tsuna's house…**

"I need you to tell me all you know about Rokudo Kira. I know it upsets you to think about him but please Ryohei, I need your help," Tsuna pleaded.

They were sitting on Tsuna's bed with their knees touching. The atmosphere in the room had been relaxed and comfortable until Tsuna spoke up. Yamamoto and Gokudera were downstairs with Nana helping clean up after dinner. Tsuna had pulled them aside and quietly asked for some time alone with Ryohei in order to question him. Gokudera reluctantly agreed while Yamamoto wished him luck.

The boxer's content smile dropped into a frown. He sighed and stared straight into Tsuna's nervous gaze. He knew there was no use in stalling anymore. Tsuna needed him and he refused to let down the boy he loved. His cheeks flushed slightly as he realized this was the first time Tsuna had called him by his first name. It sounded so nice coming from him.

"Sawada, that man is dangerous to the EXTREME! Promise me you will not risk your life just to protect the rest of us," he said with an uncompromising expression on his face.

Tsuna bit his lower lip in contemplation. _I can't promise him that. If I have to give up my life to save someone I love then I will. But I don't want to say that and upset him so I have to lie._

"Okay, I promise," he said and smiled as sincerely as he could.

Ryohei nodded and the tension seemed to drain out of his body. Tsuna felt bile start to climb up his esophagus from the guilt of lying to his friend. The trust his Guardians had in him was overwhelming. He hated betraying that trust.

Ryohei took a deep breath and spoke, "It happened the day before you were attacked. I was out on my EXTREME daily run. It seemed like a normal day when it started. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, everyone seemed happy to the EXTREME. But as I was heading towards the park, I saw a green rubber ball roll into the middle of the street and a little boy running after it."

Tsuna's heart clenched as he guessed what happened next.

Ryohei's hands trembled on his lap as he continued, "Two cars passed by without hitting him but there was one heading right for him and it didn't look like it was going to stop. The driver was on the phone. No one else was close enough to get to him in time. My heart was pounding and I was so scared because that boy looked so similar to Kyoko when she was little. I tried to run over to him but my feet wouldn't move. I couldn't even breathe as I watched the car get closer. The boy was about to get hit and I just stood there."

He paused to regain his composure and Tsuna patted him gently on the thigh, "That was a normal reaction. I would have been frozen too in that situation. Don't be so hard on yourself."

Ryohei shook his head and rubbed tears from his eyes onto his sleeve, "Thanks Sawada, but I doubt that. You would have been a hero to the EXTREME."

Tsuna smiled sheepishly and gestured for the Sun Guardian to continue, which he did, "Then all of a sudden there was a man standing in the street between the car and the boy. He had red hair shaped funny and really bright blue eyes. I thought he looked so cool with his black trench coat and combat boots. I'm still not sure how he did it, but black smoke started coming out of the car's hood and the driver stopped only a few inches away from him and jumped out of the car. A minute later it exploded and we all fell to the ground. It was EXTREME! When we got back up, the mystery man turned to the boy and asked if he was okay. The boy said yes and the man picked up his ball and returned it to him. Everyone who saw what happened started clapping as the man smiled and walked away."

Ryohei glared at the wall across from him as he mumbled, "I should have known right then that something was off with that guy. His smile was so fake and cold to the EXTRME."

Tsuna shook his head in confusion. _Why would Kira save that boy?_

Ryohei sighed and picked up where he left off, "I thought he was really strong so I ran after him to ask him to join my boxing club," Tsuna twitched at this but stayed silent, "but when he turned around he gave me this strange look. I felt like those blue eyes were staring straight into my soul. Even though it was hot outside, I started shivering. And then that cold somehow got inside of me and all the colors around me turned to gray. I felt like I was gonna pass out but I fought to stay awake."

Ryohei turned to look at Tsuna as he said in a grave tone, "I remember him saying, 'Hello Ryohei-kun. I'm so happy we finally get the chance to meet. And now you have the privilege of joining my collection. I think you're going to be my favorite.' And then he reached out his hand and touched my face. It felt ice cold and I wanted to punch him but I couldn't move. Right before I gave in and passed out I heard him say, 'You do look just like **him**. That must bother my little brother very much.' And then I only saw darkness."

The silence that filled the room when Ryohei was finished lasted until Yamamoto and Gokudera returned. Tsuna could not even speak to his Sun Guardian because he couldn't think of anything uplifting to say. Something about Kira's words to Ryohei disturbed him. _Why did he say that Ryohei would be his favorite? Who does he look like and why would Mukuro be bothered by that? What is Kira really up to?_

When Ryohei was getting ready to leave, Tsuna tapped him on the shoulder and said quietly, "I swear that whatever Kira has planned for you will not happen. I won't let him hurt you."

The bright smile he was graced with afterwards made Tsuna's heart flutter with joy.

"I believe in you Tsuna…to the EXTREME!" Ryohei said confidently.

As the boxer walked out the door Tsuna's smile faded. _I'm sorry Ryohei, but I don't think I will be able to keep my promise to you after all. _

_

* * *

_

**Now, with Tsuna, Yamamoto and Gokudera…**

The three boys were on their way to school just like they usually did. However, things were different this time because no one was speaking. Tsuna was too wrapped up in his thoughts about Kira and the other two were reluctant to mention the yellow polka-dotted elephant in the room.

Gokudera finally broke the silence, "Tenth, are you all right? You seem a bit distracted today."

Tsuna flinched but then calmed down and tried to act casual, "I'm fine Gokudera-kun. I just have a lot on my mind."

Gokudera nodded and fought the urge to smoke a cigarette. He wanted to help his beloved boss but wasn't sure how to do so. He felt so useless. Too bad there wasn't anyone annoying around to blow up. Well, there was always the baseball idiot…but he knew the Tenth wouldn't like that.

While Gokudera continued grumbling under his breath, Yamamoto tried to make conversation with the small brunette, "So Tsuna, did you finish the math homework?"

The boy immediately went into panic mode, "Eh? We had homework? I totally forgot! What am I going to do? Kanzaki-sensei is going to kill me!"

Just as Gokudera was about to offer to give up his own homework, a familiar voice piped in, "There are more important things to deal with than math right now Dame Tsuna."

Tsuna jumped and turned to face his tutor who was dressed as a sailor and perched atop the wall beside them.

"Reborn!" he gasped, fearful of the meaning behind the sadist's words.

"Ciaossu," the infant replied.

Tsuna asked, "What are you doing here? I thought you said we have to go to school today because we can't afford to miss anymore."

Reborn grabbed a can of spinach out of nowhere and threw it at Tsuna's head. The can met with his forehead and he yelped in pain. He glared at the tiny hit man and rubbed the injured area as it began to turn a pale red.

"A can of spinach? Really?" he asked incredulously.

Reborn ignored his comment and turned to Gokudera and Yamamoto, "There has been a change of plans. Rokudo Kira has contacted the Vongola and agreed to release one member of his "collection". But it has to be done today outside of your school."

The three boys' eyes widened in shock and Tsuna gasped. It was Gokudera who said what was on all their minds, "But why? What's in it for him?"

Reborn's black orbs narrowed, "He has demanded for all of you to be present when it happens…except for Hibari."

The breath in Tsuna's lungs escaped him and his vision became blurry for a few seconds. _Kira must have something up his sleeve. Why did he single Hibari-san out?_

Yamamoto asked, "Why doesn't he want Hibari there? And who is he releasing from his collection?"

Reborn opened his mouth to respond but snapped it shut suddenly as his focused moved to a spot behind the trio. Curious, the others turned to look behind them and stiffened as they saw Hibari standing there glaring at them.

The prefect spoke coldly, "He doesn't want me there with the rest of you herbivores because he wants me to go somewhere else. Obviously he plans to attack me while the rest of you are preoccupied."

Tsuna's stomach flipped nervously at Hibari's words and the uncaring tone of his voice. He hated how ugly the last conversation between them had been. He could never hate Hibari, but he'd been furious with him for suggesting Mukuro was dead.

Reborn agreed, "Yes, that seems to be the idea. He's giving up one in order to take the one he's truly interested in."

Gokudera sputtered furiously, "B-b-b-but we can't just let that bastard get what he wants! Someone else has to go with Hibari to make sure he doesn't get captured!"

Hibari rolled his eyes as if he thought Gokudera was a fool, "Don't you get it herbivore? I'm not going alone. We're just letting him think he's winning."

Yamamoto tilted his head and asked, "So who is going with you?"

"I am."

They all turned to look at Tsuna with confusion and surprise in their eyes. Hibari scoffed a few seconds later and turned to Reborn.

Reborn simply said, "No."

Tsuna's expression was a mix between fury and desperation, "It has to be me. I swore I wouldn't let Kira hurt anyone else and I meant it. I don't care what you say Reborn, I'm going with Hibari-san."

The others looked at him as if he'd gone insane. Reborn didn't get angry like they expected, instead he looked amused and somewhat impressed.

"Dame Tsuna, I said you can't go with Hibari…I didn't say you couldn't go at all."

Tsuna's anger seemed to disappear and he became confused, "What?"

Reborn smirked, "Hibari will meet Kira alone, and then you will arrive and prevent him from being added to the collection. It's time to test the strength of the Master of Games. Are you ready Tsuna?"

Tsuna caught everyone off guard with the determination crackling like a blazing fire in his eyes, "I'll stop him…or die trying."

* * *

**With Tsuna, Reborn, Yamamoto, and Gokudera…**

They approached the school gates and the two Guardians tensed as they flashed back to the nightmare of Tsuna's death. It couldn't just be a coincidence that this was the very spot it happened. Ryohei ran up to them, beaming with excitement as if he knew something they didn't.

"Sawada! Octupus head! Yamamoto! Elder Pao Pao!" he shouted gleefully.

Tsuna squeaked as he was pulled into a firm hug by the energetic boxer.

"Hey put Juudaime down you dumb Lawn head!" Gokudera spat.

Yamamoto was only amused, "Hahaha, what's got you so happy Senpai?"

Finally, Ryohei released the blushing brunette and explained, "Kyoko left me a note this morning! She says she wants to meet me here today! I can finally give my little sister an EXTREME apology!"

Tsuna shot Reborn a questioning glance to which the Arcobaleno subtly nodded in confirmation.

Tsuna turned to smile warmly at his Sun Guardian, "I'm glad you can make up with Kyoko chan."

Ryohei's grin softened to a loving smile and he said, "Thanks Tsuna."

Gokudera and Yamamoto pointedly stared in another direction from the scene before them. It was very awkward to see the person they loved having a special moment with someone else.

The three guardians present gasped and shivered simultaneously and Tsuna was about to ask what was wrong when a chilling voice spoke, "Well, well, well…if it isn't the weak little Vongola and his adorable Guardians."

And then Rokudo Kira appeared before them with a devious smirk and a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Tsuna glared at the man with peacock hairstyle and balled his hands into fists. He wanted to fight the man right then and there, but he knew he had to follow Reborn's plan. He had to protect Hibari-san.

Reborn was the first to speak, "Rokudo Kira, it's time you hold up your end of the bargain. The Vongola will not tolerate anymore of your antics."

Kira sent the Arcobaleno a look of disdain before turning his gaze to Ryohei. The boxer flinched but stood his ground and refused to look away. Tsuna was proud of his Sun Guardian for facing his tormentor.

"Fine, I will free one of my play things since it seems you have followed my stipulations. I hope this will set your mind at ease Ryohei-kun. You seem a little upset."

Tsuna's guardians narrowed their eyes at the peacock but Tsuna mentally sighed in relief as Sasagawa Kyoko stepped out from behind Kira. There was only a few seconds of shock lingering through the air before Ryohei gasped and Kyoko ran up to hug her brother. The siblings sobbed in each other's arms and both pleaded for forgiveness and proclaimed their love for one another. It was a touching moment and Tsuna smiled at them, but he also kept his guard up just in case Kira decided to play dirty.

"There, I have released Kyoko-chan. But, I wonder Tsunayoshi-kun…if you will regret this exchange. Tell me, how much does Hibari Kyouya mean to you?" Kira said lightly with a playful grin.

Tsuna's eyes narrowed and he turned to Reborn, who said, "Go."

Immediately, he popped a pill into his mouth and entered his Hyper Dying Will mode. Sending Kira a scathing glance, he pulled on his gloves and rocketed off towards the school's roof. It was the place Kira had wanted Hibari to go. But the question was, why? _How is he going to add Hibari-san to his collection if he is still down there with everyone else? What's going on?_

The moment he landed on the roof, his question was answered. His mind struggled to process the scene before him: Rokudo Mukuro had Hibari Kyouya pinned to the ground with his trident pointed at the Cloud Guardian's throat. Tsuna immediately noticed the black beaded bracelet dangling from the illusionist's left wrist. Hibari's eyes moved from glaring up at Mukuro to meet with Tsuna's wide ones. Tsuna felt like he was about to faint as Mukuro turned his head to look at him as well. Both of Mukuro's eyes were now the same shade of blue as Kira's and the deadened look in them told Tsuna that the person before him was nothing but a puppet obeying his master's every whim.

Tears streaming down his face as he left Hyper Dying Will Mode, Tsuna whispered, "Mukuro, what has he done to you?"

And for a minute, Tsuna could swear the dead look in his eyes had evaporated as Mukuro said, "Tsunayoshi..."

Hibari took the brief distraction to knock the trident out of Mukuro's hand and push the illusionist off of him. Tsuna's heart broke when he saw the life seep out of Mukuro's eyes once again. _Mukuro, I swear I will save you._

Then, in the blink of an eye, Mukuro was gone and only Kira's mocking laughter remained floating through the air.

**Sad wasn't it? So now Kyoko is free and Ryohei's meeting with Kira has been revealed. But who is this person Ryohei resembles? And what is Kira's true plan? What happened between Hibari and Mukuro on the roof? Some of these questions will be answered in the next chapter! Stay tuned for Chapter 18!**


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